The conventional view of the Hormuz crisis is that China has been caught in an energy trap. It is the world's largest crude importer, the Gulf remains one of its most important sources of supply, and an estimated 45–50% of Chinese crude imports normally transit the Strait of Hormuz. When traffic through the strait slows, Beijing cannot simply replace all those barrels overnight. That vulnerability is real. But it is also incomplete.
China entered this crisis with large strategic and commercial inventories, diversified suppliers and the ability to suppress refinery runs. More importantly, it entered with something previous oil-importing economies did not have during earlier supply shocks: a rapidly electrifying transport system already removing more than one million barrels per day of potential oil demand.
Strategic reserves buy time. Electrification changes the balance permanently.
The missing 1.35 million barrels per day
In the first half of 2026, China's electric vehicle fleet displaced an estimated 34 million tonnes of oil. Using a standard conversion for crude-equivalent volumes, that is around 1.35 million barrels per day, more than 1% of total global oil consumption.

#hormuz

Gianni Infantino's position as Fifa president is verging on untenable as member **** ociations begin to withdraw their support for his re-election following his disastrously botched bid to privatise the World Cup.
Infantino planned to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors under the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), but this was met with intense backlash from football federations, with Uefa threatening to boycott Fifa tournaments if the plans were passed.
The response forced a climbdown from the Swiss-Italian but that is far from the end of the story. Many footballing bodies say they have "lost confidence" in Infantino as president, with the Asian Football Confederation calling for an "urgent review of [Fifa's] governance".
And now Infantino has summoned senior Fifa officials to a crisis meeting with a number of his allies dwindling after Fifa's secretary general Mattias Grafstrom's criticism, while the president of the Jordan FA publicly accused Infantino of "blackmail".
Before he eventually scrapped the plans, senior figures inside Fifa turned on the president. Infantino's long-term adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, chose to quit in protest over the initial proposals, while Fifa's chief operating officer said that Infantino "deceived" staff over his plans.

#infantino #enterprise

Embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino has apologised for "mistakes" over his controversial World Cup sell-off plan but senior leaders at world football's governing body have "reaffirm[ed] their full support" for him after a crisis meeting on Wednesday.
Infantino was forced to abandon his plans – namely to sell stakes in the World Cup and other Fifa tournaments to private investors – after public uproar last week, with Uefa confirming a boycott of Fifa events if the plan was voted through.
On Tuesday, Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused Infantino of "blackmail" and, under immense pressure, with his job seemingly on the line, the Swiss-Italian called an emergency meeting with the Fifa management board in Morocco.
Gianni Infantino has retained the support of Fifa (PA Wire)
A letter released by Fifa on Wednesday evening was signed by both Infantino and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, even though the latter is understood to have written an email to staff on Tuesday in which he described Infantino's proposal as "sad and reproachable".

#infantino

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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 »
QQQM mirrors the Nasdaq-100 index, which tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange. It only began trading in October 2020, but we can look at the Nasdaq-100's performance to get an idea of how resilient (and lucrative) it has been.
Since the beginning of 1995, the Nasdaq-100 has averaged 14.4% annual returns, outpacing the S&P 500's 9.2% average in that time. Arguably more impressive is that it has done so despite going through three recessions (those resulting from the dot-com bubble, financial crisis, and COVID-19).

#signal

By Rohith Nair
Aug 5 (Reuters) - FIFA apologised to its members for mistakes made over its abandoned proposal to sell commercial rights to the World Cup as the body's leadership reaffirmed its support for President Gianni Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
The proposal to sell a 20% stake in a new commercial rights entity to private investors ‌in a deal that would have raised about $4.2 billion provoked a fierce backlash and was withdrawn last Friday.
Infantino bore the brunt of the criticism, including some from inside FIFA, which raised ‌questions over his re-election as president next March.
"Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA management board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino," the statement said.

#fifa #proposal

Mark Few is trying to build a basketball team. And the NCAA is making that as hard as possible.
What follows is a good faith attempt to explain to your average college sports fan what has happened in courtrooms across the country and why the Zags still have roster spots they can't fill the way they'd like yet.
Fair warning: a lot of what follows is still being decided in real time. This situation is moving fast enough that some of it may already look different by the time you read it.
This is the story of how the NCAA created a crisis entirely of its own making, how players are fighting back in courtrooms from Ohio to Colorado, and why college sports fans should be upset and baffled by all of it.
So, how did we get here? Well, in short, it's a mess. The best way to get a grip on things is probably to look at how this all started.

#making #courtrooms #still

By Rohith Nair
Aug 5 (Reuters) - FIFA said on Wednesday it had apologised to its member ***** ociations for mistakes made over its abandoned proposal to sell commercial rights linked to the World Cup, as the governing body's leadership reaffirmed its support for president Gianni Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco.
Following the meeting in Rabat, attended by Infantino, secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and members of FIFA's management board, FIFA said its leadership had reaffirmed its full ‌support for the president while acknowledging that the handling of the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal should have been different.
In a statement, FIFA said a separate letter had been sent to FIFA Council members and the 211 member ***** ociations apologising ‌for the errors and promising a review.
It added that, with the proposal withdrawn, FIFA would "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process" and would take all necessary measures to protect its reputation.

#support

FIFA's leadership has reaffirmed its "full support" for President Gianni Infantino, days after he was forced to abandon a plan to sell off World Cup commercial rights that triggered a rare revolt within world football's governing body.
The declaration followed a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, called after mounting pressure from UEFA and other confederations threatened to derail Infantino's expected re-election to a fourth term at FIFA's Congress in March.
In a statement, FIFA said Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom and members of its management board reiterated their backing for Infantino as "the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member ******* ociations".
Infantino reciprocated support for Grafstrom and FIFA's administration.
Football fans photograph a FIFA logo outside FIFA global headquarters on July 30, 2026, in Zurich, Switzerland [Robert Hradil/Getty]

#wednesday

Embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino has apologised for "mistakes" over his controversial World Cup sell-off plan but senior leaders at world football's governing body have "reaffirm[ed] their full support" for him after a crisis meeting on Wednesday.
Infantino was forced to abandon his plans – namely to sell stakes in the World Cup and other Fifa tournaments to private investors – after public uproar last week, with Uefa confirming a boycott of Fifa events if the plan was voted through.
On Tuesday, Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused Infantino of "blackmail" and, under immense pressure, with his job seemingly on the line, the Swiss-Italian called an emergency meeting with the Fifa management board in Morocco.
Gianni Infantino has retained the support of Fifa (PA Wire)
A letter released by Fifa on Wednesday evening was signed by both Infantino and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, even though the latter is understood to have written an email to staff on Tuesday in which he described Infantino's proposal as "sad and reproachable".

#infantino #World

After the crisis meeting he allegedly convened himself, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has now commented on the much-criticized plan to sell the World Cup, which he had already abandoned earlier after a wave of outrage from all sides.
In a letter published by the world governing body on Wednesday night, signed by both Gianni Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, it says: "We acknowledge that mistakes were also made after the plan was leaked to the media."
It is Infantino's first apology since the controversial plans became public, which had envisaged selling shares in football's biggest tournament to private investors.
"We sincerely apologize for these mistakes and commit to ensuring that they will not happen again," the letter continues.
A necessary review is to be carried out, and the report presented to the FIFA Council at its next meeting.

#gianni #World #letter #mattias

International football is reeling once again after an unprecedented institutional attack. Luis Figo has publicly called for the immediate resignation of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
In a column published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the Real Madrid and FC Barcelona legend described the Swiss official's conduct as the most "underhanded, deceitful and selfish" he has witnessed in his entire sporting career.
The trigger for this statement was Infantino's controversial plan to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The Portuguese star says the president has lied and tried to enrich himself at the expense of the sport he is supposed to defend.
This firm stance comes right in the middle of a crisis meeting among the governing body's top leadership.
In addition to making the text public on his social media, Figo maintains that Infantino has completely lost the backing of his closest advisers and the global football community.

#infantino #international

WARNING: There is discussion of self harm ahead. If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting "988."
Blogger Perez Hilton was reportedly hospitalized on Tuesday after social media "alleged the podcaster was seen harming himself on a TikTok livestream," reports USA TODAY's Anthony Robledo.
The office of the Miami-Dade County Sherriff released a statement in which it said it had gotten "multiple calls regarding an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media." That individual had gotten medical attention at a local hospital.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves," the statement also read, "deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication."
Here's what we know so far.

#self #harm #experiencing

Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton was hospitalized Tuesday after apparently harming himself in a TikTok livestream, prompting frightened viewers to call law enforcement, according to multiplereports.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office told People it staged a de-escalation in his Florida home.
Buzz: Jimmy Fallon Says Trump And Cabinet Found Their Fall Guy For The War In Iran
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," a sheriff's spokesperson explained.
"Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public."

#escalation #crisis #celebrity #perez

US blogger Perez Hilton is recovering in hospital after members of the public reported that he had appeared to self-harm during a TikTok livestream.
Emergency services were called to his home in Miami on Tuesday after concerned viewers reported a man "livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media".
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office told US media that an individual had been "safely recovered" and taken to "a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention".
Police added that their crisis response unit and licensed mental health professionals were also "on scene providing support and resources to the individual's family".
If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, help and support is available at BBC Action Line.

#hilton

For most of the last two decades, the anxiety in power planning was about demand: would consumption grow fast enough to justify new capacity, and how would an aging fleet keep pace? That question has inverted. Demand is no longer the uncertain variable—it is the one thing forecasters are confident about. The uncertainty now sits on the supply side: whether the workforce, the equipment, and the political and economic conditions needed to build and run generation can keep up with a demand curve that is accelerating for the first time in a generation.The International Energy Agency (IEA) put a number on the demand side in its Electricity 2026 report, projecting that global electricity demand will grow by an average of 3.6% per year through 2030, roughly 50% faster than the average over the previous decade, driven by industrial electrification, electric vehicles, air conditioning, and data centers. For the first time in three decades outside of a crisis period, electricity demand has begun to grow faster than the global economy itself. The demand is coming. The open question is deliverability.That framing—supply-side constraints as the binding risk—runs through recent research from Verdantix, a UK-based **** yst firm whose Industrial Dislocation Index scores nine major economies on how far their operating conditions have diverged from their own 30-year norms. For power generation specifically, Verdantix identifies four factors that carry disproportionate weight: politics, geo-economic friction, energy prices, and production inputs.
The clearest signal in the Verdantix data for a power audience is the energy sub-index, which scores each country on how far its energy position has moved from its own historical baseline. The spread is wide. The U.S. sits at the resilient end, with the lowest energy-dislocation score in the study at 1.83, a reflection of its position as a net exporter of natural gas, crude, and coal, with electricity and fuel costs below the global average. At the other end is the UK, at 7.33, the highest in the study—a measure of how sharply its energy position has diverged from what UK industry was historically built around. Germany (5.67) and France (5.50) sit high as well; **** an (4.50), India (3.50), China (3.17), Saudi Arabia (3.00), and Canada (2.67) fall in between.What that gap looks like on the ground varies by market, and Verdantix's country profiles fill it in. The UK's high score traces to underinvestment in nuclear, the grid-modernization costs of shifting to decentralized renewables, and windfall taxes on oil and gas—a combination severe enough that Verdantix notes chemical producers citing UK energy costs as a reason to pull back operations. France is Europe's largest net electricity exporter thanks to its nuclear fleet, but that same concentration is a vulnerability: recent questions about the quality of French reactor maintenance, Verdantix observes, show how quickly a strength can turn into a present-day problem. ****

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been hospitalized after posting a distressing livestream video to TikTok.
The video prompted authorities to attend Hilton's home in Miami amid concerns he was "livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media." Hilton's TikTok account has since been suspended.
Miami-Dade police did not name the celebrity but said they received multiple calls from fans and attended the scene, where they spoke with members of Hilton's family outside and "tactically disengaged."
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize deescalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," the Miami-Dade sheriff's office said in a statement issued to the media.
"Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies and the public."

#dade #Media #crisis #deputies

Law enforcement in Miami responded to the home of Perez Hilton on Tuesday after receiving multiple calls claiming the media personality was "livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media."
The livestreamed TikTok allegedly appeared to show him harming himself with a knife and making apparent cuts on his body, with a ****** torso and face.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said in a statement that deputies spoke with his family members on scene and "tactically disengaged while continuing to monitor the situation."
Ethan Miller/Getty Images - PHOTO: Sammy Hagar Headlines Grand Opening Of Caspian's ****** tails & Caviar At Caesars Palace
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," the sheriff's office said, adding this tacitc can reduce "suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public."

#deputies #office #TikTok

Liverpool have no plans to bring Jarell Quansah back to Anfield despite facing a defensive injury crisis ahead of the new Premier League season, talkSPORT reports.
Liverpool have an option to re-sign the 23-year-old defender from Bayer Leverkusen through a £70 million buyback clause, but they've decided against pursuing the deal.
Interestingly, this comes at a time when Liverpool are dealing with several defensive concerns.
Liverpool stalwart Joe Gomez is expected to miss the start of the season after sustaining an injury in the Reds' 4-2 victory over Sunderland in their pre-season curtain-raiser.
Highly rated youngsters Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are both still working their way back to full fitness after lengthy injury setbacks.

#quansah

Police have been called to Perez Hilton's Miami home after he shared what appeared to be a self-harm video to TikTok.
Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Tuesday night that they had received "multiple calls" of "an individual livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media" and dispatched deputies to investigate.
Officers spoke with Hilton's family members who were on the scene and ultimately decided to "tactfully disengage" while continuing to "monitor the situation" after confirming the celebrity blogger was alone inside.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritise de-escalation by creating time, distance and opportunities for communication," the Sheriff's Office shared in a statement to Page Six.
"Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilising crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimise the risk of injury to the individual, deputies and the public," the statement continued.
Hilton had reportedly appeared on the livestream naked, bloodied and distressed. The video was reportedly available on TikTok for around 30 minutes before it was taken down, and his account has since been suspended.

#harm

Deputies from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office have been dispatched to the Miami home of Perez Hilton after the blogger appeared to self-harm during a disturbing livestream on Tuesday.
The Sheriff's Office told Entertainment Weekly that the video prompted multiple calls to local police, who then visited Hilton's home, spoke with family members who were on the scene, and confirmed that Hilton was alone inside. They have since "tactically disengaged" with Hilton, and continue to monitor the situation.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," the statement read.
"Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public," wrote Argemis "AC" Colome, an officer with the Public Affairs Office.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a representative for Hilton for comment.

#office #weekly #public

Miami authorities on Aug. 4 responded to the home of Perez Hilton after multiple reports alleged the podcaster was seen harming himself on a TikTok livestream.
A disturbing but unverified video circulating online appears to show the celebrity blogger, 48, nude and covered in what seems to be blood while exhibiting signs of distress and holding a sharp item.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office confirmed that authorities responded to several calls about a person who was live streaming acts of self-harm on social media. Deputies arrived at Hilton's home and spoke to family members on scene to confirm he was alone inside, police said Aug 4.
Law enforcement authorities have tactically disengaged at this time "while continuing to monitor the situation and providing the needed support to his family," the sheriff's office told USA TODAY.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," the sheriff's statement reads.

#home

Perez Hilton appeared to harm himself during a TikTok livestream Tuesday evening, prompting Miami authorities to visit the blogger's residence.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office shared Tuesday that an alleged TikTok livestream appearing to show the celebrity blogger harming himself prompted "multiple calls" from concerned viewers to law enforcement. The Sheriff's Office noted that they responded to the scene, where they were spoke with Hilton's family members and chose to "tactically disengage" while continuing to monitor the situation.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office told media in a statement. "Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies and the public."
Representatives for Hilton and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.
The video in-question – which has since been taken down along with Hilton's TikTok account being suspended – reportedly showed the online personality cutting himself.

#TikTok #dade

Warning: This post contains discussions of self-harm.
Police in Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office responded to the home of Perez Hilton after the celebrity blogger and reality television alum was seen in a highly disturbing video, wherein he appeared to be nude and slashing at his own body with a knife while covered in blood.
In a statement provided to TV Insider, the MDSO's public information office confirmed the incident on Tuesday (August 4) night after the graphic video was shared by others who witnessed the stream.
"The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office received multiple calls regarding an individual who was live-streaming acts of self-harm on social media. Deputies quickly located the individual's residence, where they spoke with family members on scene, and he was confirmed alone inside," the statement reads.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication," the statement continues.

#deputies #police

Gianni Infantino has called a "crisis meeting" with the organization's top officials for this Wednesday (5) in Morocco, according to The Times.
The FIFA president's goal is to contain the growing pressure he has been facing since the initiative - later abandoned - to market the World Cup's rights.
The decision comes after more episodes that have reinforced his isolation.
Mattias Grafström, FIFA's secretary-general, has become the latest ally to criticize Infantino's plan.
In an internal email sent to the organization's staff, Grafström described the project as "a sad and deplorable sequence of events."

#wednesday #times #fifa #mattias

Max Alleyne has lifted the lid on a hectic 24 hours that saw him preparing to face Hull City one moment and then being named in the Blues' starting XI to face Brighton the next!
Alleyne had been on a season-long loan with Watford and impressed in the 17 games he played for the Championship outfit.
But a defensive injury crisis that saw former boss Pep Guardiola robbed of Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones meant the 21-year-old centre-back was needed back at his parent club.
"My debut was a bit crazy," smiled Alleyne,
"I was at Watford and we had Hull away and about five minutes before kick-off, it gets cancelled.

#hull #blues #guardiola

By David Lawder and Daphne Psaledakis
Aug 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday he will not hesitate to repeat a U.S. and ****** anese coordinated foreign exchange intervention that countered disorderly yen movements and urged that ‌a Federal Reserve backstop for foreign central banks and monetary authorities be "upsized."
Bessent indicated in a social media posting on X ‌that the Fed's Foreign and International Monetary Authorities lending facility was used in the coordinated action on Friday, which was confirmed by ****** an's finance ministry and President Donald Trump.
"The FIMA Repo Facility is an important backstop. We should encourage it to be upsized in the coming months," Bessent said.
Created by the Fed during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the FIMA Repo Facility allows countries that keep Treasury securities on deposit at the New York Fed to get up to $60 billion in U.S. dollar loans for up to seven days. The loans are offered at a rate typically above the open-market ‌repo rate, so the expectation is that its ⁠use would be limited to times of market stress.

#repo #coordinated

The San Francisco 49ers have an injury crisis at defensive end and rookie Jaden Dugger may be one of their keys to fixing it.
Injuries on the D-line stabilized a bit Monday with rookie Romello Height back in the mix, but limited reps for Nick Bosa along with absences of Mykel Williams, Cam Sample and Keion White still left the club short at the position.
ESPN's Nick Wagoner pointed out in a post-practice recap that Dugger, a fifth-round rookie linebacker, was getting some individual reps with the edge group.
Spotted during individual drills: LB Jaden Dugger doing some work with the defensive line group. The Niners liked Dugger's versatility coming out and seem to want to explore all the ways that can be used, though it doesn't hurt that they're short on bodies at that spot right now because of injuries.
Dugger throughout his positional change at Louisiana did some work pass rushing off the edge so it's not a completely foreign concept. He also has the measurables to play DE in the NFL. He measured in at 6-4, 240 pounds with 35-inch arms and a wingspan wider than seven feet. He started his college career as a safety before moving to linebacker where he's expected to play in San Francisco. However, without a starting linebacker spot vacant, there's an opening for Dugger to carve out a short-term role on the edge if he gets more opportunities to step in while the team struggles with injuries.

#rookie

By Samia Nakhoul
BEIRUT, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Iran is betting it can outlast Washington by turning the Middle East's trade routes, shipping lanes and energy infrastructure into pressure points that steadily raise the cost of confrontation, according to Gulf officials and ***** ysts.
Rather than seeking a decisive military victory, Tehran is pursuing a strategy of calibrated escalation aimed at widening the conflict without triggering full-scale war.
The ‌goal, they say, is to convince the United States and its allies that containing the crisis is more costly than accommodating Iran's demands over the Strait of Hormuz.
The message from Tehran is that unless ‌Washington accepts a new status quo that gives Iran a greater role in Hormuz, the conflict could spread beyond the Gulf.

#hormuz #samia

The president, Aleksander Ceferin, speaks first. That's the way in a crisis.
Then the natural order: the treasurer and vice president, Sandor Csanyi; English Football **** ociation CEO Mark Bullingham. Male European football executives lined up on the Zoom screen, queueing up to save our world.
But then this emergency meeting of UEFA, European football's governing body, convened in response to FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell off stakes in its major competitions, takes a twist.
Laura McAllister, another vice president and one of two women on the governing body's 21-member executive committee, takes the microphone. She demands real action: a full boycott of FIFA competitions.
Maybe this means little to you — the fact that on an emergency call of 150 individuals actively wrestling with what they consider to be an existential threat to football's future, it is a woman who issues the call to arms.

#fifa #vice #competitions

Middle East turmoil, centered on the U.S. war with Iran, is playing havoc with world energy markets. An ongoing dispute over access to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil and natural gas supply is shipped, is causing prices to surge. This is a boon for South America's oil industry, particularly Suriname's emerging petroleum boom, which was delayed by conflicting drilling results and seismic data. The former Dutch colony is on the cusp of becoming South America's next major oil-producing nation.
Since 2019, Suriname's government in the capital Paramaribo has hungrily eyed Guyana's booming petroleum sector, which delivered a massive economic windfall for the former British colony. Five major oil discoveries in offshore Block 58, which started in 2020 with the Maka Central-1 exploration well, confirmed the presence of commercially exploitable hydrocarbons in Suriname's portion of the offshore Guyana-Suriname Basin.
After a series of delays, beginning in 2022, due to mismatched drilling results and seismic data along with a high gas-to-oil ratio, TotalEnergies, the operator of Block 58, approved a final investment decision (FID). TotalEnergies, which holds a 50% working interest in offshore Block 58, and 50% partner APA Corporation approved the development of the deepwater GranMorgu project. This changed the project's ownership structure. Forty percent was retained by the operator TotalEnergies with another 40% retained by APA, and the remainder granted to Staatsolie.
The state-controlled energy company's acquisition was in accordance with Staatsolie's rights set out in the production-sharing contract (PSC) for Block 52. The company used a $1.6 billion loan from a banking consortium and a March 2025 bond issue to finance the acquisition. Staatsolie's share of GranMorgu will multiply the earnings delivered to Paramaribo, which has been battling an economic crisis since 2021. Indeed, the situation was so severe that rioting engulfed parts of the capital and parliament was stormed by protestors in 2023.
GranMorgu, which will come online in 2028, is a game changer for an economically challenged Suriname. The project's floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) vessel, on completion, will have capacity of 220,000 barrels per day.

#south #World