Author: admin

  • U.S. crude supplies up, other petroleum data mixed-Xinhua

    HOUSTON, July 2 (Xinhua) — U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 17.1 million barrels per day (b/d) during the week ending June 27, 118,000 b/d more than the previous week’s average, according to the weekly report issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday.

    Refineries operated at 94.9 percent of their operable capacity last week, said the EIA’s Weekly Petroleum Data Report.

    Gasoline production went down last week, averaging 9.6 million b/d, while distillate fuel production went up by 244,000 b/d, averaging 5 million b/d.

    U.S. commercial crude oil inventories, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, surged by 3.8 million barrels from the previous week to 419 million barrels, about 9 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

    Total motor gasoline inventories rose by 4.2 million barrels last week, about 1 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

    Distillate fuel inventories dropped by 1.7 million barrels last week, around 21 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

    Propane/propylene inventories went up by 3 million barrels last week, 11 percent above the five-year average for this time of year.

    Total commercial petroleum inventories increased by 9.4 million barrels last week.

    Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.3 million b/d, down by 1.1 percent from the same period last year.

    Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 9.2 million b/d, down by 0.1 percent from the same period last year.

    Distillate fuel product supplied averaged 3.7 million b/d over the past four weeks, up by 0.6 percent from the same period last year.

    Jet fuel product supplied was up 2.4 percent compared with the same four-week period last year.

    Continue Reading

  • Google Releases Emergency Fix For Chrome Zero-Day Flaw – Users Should Update Now – TechRepublic

    1. Google Releases Emergency Fix For Chrome Zero-Day Flaw – Users Should Update Now  TechRepublic
    2. Chrome Zero-Day CVE-2025-6554 Under Active Attack — Google Issues Security Update  The Hacker News
    3. Fresh zero-day vulnerability in Chrome found to be actively exploited by hackers in the wild  PC Gamer
    4. Google Chrome hit by another serious security flaw – update your browser ASAP  ZDNET
    5. Google fixes fourth actively exploited Chrome zero-day of 2025  BleepingComputer

    Continue Reading

  • Asia Set for Cautious Open Ahead of US Payrolls: Markets Wrap

    Asia Set for Cautious Open Ahead of US Payrolls: Markets Wrap

    (Bloomberg) — Asian shares were poised for a cautious open as investors awaited US jobs data after stocks hit another record following Donald Trump’s announcement of a trade deal with Vietnam.

    An MSCI gauge of global shares set a new peak after the S&P 500 rose 0.5% to a new high Wednesday. The Nasdaq 100 gained 0.7% as tech outperformed. News of a trade deal supported apparel stocks including Nike Inc. amid hopes the latest accord will avert a potential supply-chain catastrophe. Asian equity-index futures were little changed. Tesla Inc. jumped 5% as a drop in sales was seen as better than feared.

    Treasuries fell Wednesday following heavy selling in the UK, where concerns about Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ future reignited questions over the nation’s fiscal position. The US 10-year yield climbed four basis points while the UK 10-year yield soared 16 basis points Wednesday. Gold rose, oil climbed around 3% and the dollar was little changed.

    The cross-asset moves underscored cautious optimism as traders contend with pockets of uncertainty ahead of US jobs data that will help identify the path ahead for interest rates. Like in the UK, investors have also raised similar concerns in the US, where Trump’s signature economic legislation stalled in the House Wednesday afternoon as Republican fiscal conservatives delayed a key procedural vote.

    “Investors are already pricing in the One Big Beautiful Bill, at least in some form,” Zachary Griffiths, head of investment-grade and macroeconomic strategy at CreditSights, told Bloomberg Television Wednesday. “We’re going to see more supply from the US and there’s concerns fiscally across the globe” including in the UK.

    On the Vietnam trade deal, Trump said he reached a deal with the country after weeks of negotiations. A 20% tariff will be placed on Vietnamese exports to the US, with a 40% levy on any goods deemed to be transshipped through the country. Trump said that Vietnam had agreed to drop all levies on US imports.

    Markets Live Strategist Mary Nicola says:

    The deal also includes a 40% duty on transshipped goods, a clause clearly aimed at Chinese exports. Details on enforcement remain scarce, but this heightens risks of a potential response from Beijing.

    Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Rachel Reeves will stay on as Chancellor of the Exchequer, as he sought to draw a line under speculation about her future that sparked the bond selloff.

    Back in the US, monthly nonfarm payroll data due later Thursday — a day earlier than usual due to a holiday —  will show slower hiring and the highest unemployment rate since 2021 as the Trump administration’s trade and immigration policy shifts start to leave an imprint.

    Separate private payrolls data from ADP Research on Wednesday showed employment at US companies fell for the first time in over two years. Despite signs of a downshift, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has repeated the labor market remains solid. Policymakers have refrained from lowering interest rates this year as they wait to see the impact of tariffs on inflation.

    “One of the reasons the Fed has been able to be patient before cutting rates was because the job market was holding up so well, so if that were to change, then the Fed may be forced to move earlier than they would like,” said Chris Zaccarelli at Northlight Asset Management.

    Following ADP Research’s private payrolls data, traders added to wagers on at least two rate reductions this year, with the first coming in September. If the upcoming jobs report shows further weakness, traders reckon the Fed could move up cuts.

    Some of the main moves in markets:

    Stocks

    • S&P 500 futures were little changed as of 8:22 a.m. Tokyo time
    • Hang Seng futures were little changed
    • S&P/ASX 200 futures fell 0.1%

    Currencies

    • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
    • The euro was little changed at $1.1800
    • The Japanese yen was little changed at 143.56 per dollar
    • The offshore yuan was little changed at 7.1620 per dollar
    • The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.6585

    Cryptocurrencies

    • Bitcoin fell 0.1% to $109,061.54
    • Ether fell 0.2% to $2,586.18

    Bonds

    • Australia’s 10-year yield advanced three basis points to 4.18%

    Commodities

    • West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.3% to $67.25 a barrel
    • Spot gold fell 0.1% to $3,352.62 an ounce

    This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

    –With assistance from Richard Henderson.

    ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

    Continue Reading

  • BBL DRAW A HIT FOR HEAT | Gabba Hosts Home Games

    BBL DRAW A HIT FOR HEAT | Gabba Hosts Home Games

    The 2025-26 KFC Big Bash League season will see Brisbane strive to bring the heat in more ways than one across five home matches at the Gabba this summer.

    Buoyed by the signing of number one International Draft Pick and fast bowling tyro Shaheen Shah Afridi, the Heat will host the Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Stars, Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers at the Gabba.

    It will be the first time since Brisbane’s championship season in BBL|13 in 2023-24 that the Scorchers will have played in Brisbane, with Perth arriving for the Heat’s Opening Night game on Friday 19 December.

    Included in the Heat’s five home matches highlighted in today’s release of the BBL|15 draw is a rare day game, hosting the Sydney Thunder on Saturday 10 January in a 3pm match as part of a bumper BBL double-header that day.

    The Heat will host the last game of the regular season, a potential blockbuster against the Sydney Sixers at the Gabba on Sunday 18 January which could feature Pakistan superstars Afridi and Sydney’s Babar Azam as well as Australian Test players being available.

    Heat CEO Terry Svenson said the fixtures presented an almost perfect summer draw for Brisbane fans and members.

    “We’ve got all games in the school holidays, two Friday night games, two Saturday matches including a family friendly afternoon slot, and a Sunday night blockbuster to wrap up the regular season,’’ he said.

    “The matches are ideally spaced, with a pre-Christmas clash with the Scorchers, the Festive Bash game on 27 December against the Strikers that is right in the sweet spot for families on holidays, a Friday night match just after New Year and then two more games a week apart in January.”

    “This summer promises to be one of the biggest ever on record for cricket, and if our membership renewal interest is any guide, we’re thrilled at the prospect of attracting loads of fans to the Gabba which in turn should inspire the team to be at their most exciting,” Svenson said.

    Brisbane Heat Memberships went on sale yesterday, with the club producing its highest ever first day of sales in 14 years.

    The record sales return came on the same day that the Heat announced Royal Caribbean as its official Membership and Holiday Partner, with a family holiday for four to be given away ahead of the season.

    Heat tickets will be on sale from next month through Ticketek.

    Brisbane will open its season away with a return to Geelong where it will take on the Melbourne Renegades on 15 December.

    The Heat has played the Renegades three times at GHMBA Stadium in Geelong, winning their inaugural clash at the venue before losing the next two.

    This included the infamous COVID match in January 2022 where Brisbane was forced to field an entirely new side after the main playing group was quarantined on the Gold Coast following an outbreak of illness in the squad.

    The Heat will also play the Sixers at Coffs Harbour International Stadium, the third year in a row it has visited the NSW coastal city for a BBL game, as well as make a return to Canberra to take on the Thunder at Manuka Oval.

    The 40 regular season matches will run uninterrupted from December 14 to January 18, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The BBL|15 Finals series will feature four matches from Tuesday, January 20, culminating in the Final on Sunday, January 25.

    Every BBL|15 match will once again be aired on FOX SPORTS and available on Kayo Sports, including ten matches exclusive to FOX CRICKET.

    The summer schedule features 30 regular season BBL matches and every final that will be shown live and free on Seven and 7plus.

    The WBBL Heat fixtures will be announced next week.

    Continue Reading

  • Remembering William Cran, Prolific and Acclaimed Documentary Filmmaker

    Remembering William Cran, Prolific and Acclaimed Documentary Filmmaker

    William Cran, a prolific filmmaker who produced more than 20 acclaimed FRONTLINE documentaries — including the series’ first two episodes in 1983 — died on June 4 at age 79.

    Starting with an investigation probing the National Football League and then 88 Seconds in Greensboro, which examined the murder of civil rights demonstrators, Cran’s films for FRONTLINE would go on to explore topics ranging from the assassination of John F. Kennedy, to the global AIDS epidemic, to how Jesus became Christ.

    The New York Times called the latter documentary series, From Jesus to Christ, “a revelation of what television can be.”

    Whether he was examining an Ambush in Mogadishu, the secret life of J. Edgar Hoover, the hidden reality of rape on the job for immigrant women, or the evolution of apocalyptic beliefs across centuries, Cran explored complicated subjects with depth, vigor and compelling narratives.

    “What was so particular about Bill was that each one of his films is different,” said the founder of FRONTLINE, David Fanning. Cran first caught Fanning’s attention when he was recruiting filmmakers for a new international series for public television called “World,” which would later become FRONTLINE.

    “I invited Bill to visit us in Boston,” Fanning said,”but he arrived in a snow storm, which turned into the ‘Blizzard of ’78! We were trapped in my apartment for three days, so we had lots of time to get to know each other.”

    ​Years after Cran produced FRONTLINE’s first two films, Fanning recalls being in a Hollywood meeting with Steven Spielberg: “He came into the room and exclaimed, ‘FRONTLINE! That’s 88 Seconds in Greensboro!’” Fanning said Spielberg “could remember sequences,” from Cran’s film.

    In addition to his work with FRONTLINE, Cran produced several multi-part public media series that also probed complex subjects, including the 9-part series The Story of English, which aired on PBS and the BBC and also became a bestselling book. Cran also produced the 8-part series The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power, with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin.

    Over the course of his storied career, Cran won honors including two Peabody Awards, four duPont-Columbia University awards, four Emmy Awards and an Overseas Press Club Award.

    Cran also mentored several generations of documentary filmmakers and journalists who went on to have their own successful careers.

    “Bill had an incredible nose for storytelling. He made me focus on the narrative arc of a story and insisted there should always be three acts and a climax,” said Marcela Gaviria, who first worked on the FRONTLINE documentary Godfather of Cocaine with Cran and went on to produce many films for the series. “He wasn’t just a storyteller; he was a demanding journalist and an inspired teacher.”

    Watch a selection of Cran’s landmark films for FRONTLINE below.

    Part I:

    Part II:


    Patrice Taddonio, Senior Digital Writer, FRONTLINE

    Continue Reading

  • Report: Deandre Ayton expected to sign with Lakers after Blazers buyout

    Report: Deandre Ayton expected to sign with Lakers after Blazers buyout

    Deandre Ayton is the only player to average a double-double in points and rebounds in his first 7 seasons since Dwight Howard.

    • Download the NBA App

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Center Deandre Ayton has agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

    The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal could not yet be announced between the Lakers and Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft — two spots ahead of Luka Doncic.

    The Portland Trail Blazers bought out Ayton’s contract last weekend, and he has agreed to join Doncic and LeBron James on a deal for the upcoming season with a player option for 2026-27. He will be paid more than $25 million by the Blazers while playing for the Lakers next year.

    Ayton’s arrival fills the Lakers’ most glaring offseason need, providing a lob target for James and Doncic. And while Ayton isn’t known as a defensive stopper, the 7-footer will provide the size in the middle that the Lakers have missed since trading Anthony Davis to Dallas for Doncic.

    Ayton, who turns 27 this month, spent his first five NBA seasons with Phoenix before joining the Trail Blazers two years ago as part of the three-team trade sending Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.

    Ayton struggled at times in Portland while playing for mediocre teams, but he has averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds during his seven NBA seasons while making 59% of his shots. He played only 40 games for the Blazers last season, getting sidelined for the rest of the year in February by a strained calf.

    While he has never been an All-Star, Ayton is the only player to average a double-double in points and rebounds in his first seven NBA seasons since former Lakers center Dwight Howard did it over a decade ago.

    Ayton also knows Southern California after moving from the Bahamas to San Diego to play high school basketball. He went on to the University of Arizona before the Suns drafted him.

    The Lakers struggled without Davis in the paint last season, with Jaxson Hayes playing poorly enough to get benched by coach JJ Redick in their final two playoff games. Los Angeles was eliminated from the first round of the postseason by Minnesota in five games, with big man Rudy Gobert racking up 27 points and 24 rebounds in the clinching victory while the Lakers largely played without a center.

    Continue Reading

  • Two years in, Apple is now officially on Threads

    Two years in, Apple is now officially on Threads

    It took a minute, but Apple has at last activated its official Threads account. And thanks to its massive Instagram presence, it instantly picked up nearly 5 million followers.

    Today’s move comes well after several Apple-related accounts joined Instagram’s alternative to X right out of the gate. Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Books, Shazam, and Beats by Dre were among the first to show up shortly after Threads launched in mid-2023, but the main @apple account remained absent until now.

    Instant 4.8 million following

    Despite having yet to post anything, Apple’s Threads debut already carries quite a bit of weight. The @apple account had over 4.8 million followers the moment it went live, thanks to Threads’ auto-follow feature for Instagram accounts. Given @apple’s massive Instagram presence, currently at over 34 million followers, the immediate boost isn’t surprising.

    What makes the move notable is obviously the broader context. Apple has long maintained a strong presence on X, to the point of facing criticism in recent years.

    Over there, it has nearly 10 million followers and continues to use the platform to promote events, ads, and product launches. The company has been quiet on alternative platforms like Mastodon, where only Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow and longtime marketing chief, maintains a personal presence.

    9to5Mac’s take

    Apple’s arrival on Threads may not signal a full-on platform shift just yet, but it does show the company is at least willing to play in the broader social network field. Whether that translates into actual posts, or even full-on marketing campaigns, remains to be seen.

    Many companies have rushed to join new platforms, only to let them sit dormant after the initial wave of hype. Just today, The Telegraph published a story called “The Left is abandoning its online safe space“, to which social media consultant Matt Navarra noted:

    Still, with Meta continuing to push Threads as a more stable alternative to X and, at the same time, signals it’s finally ready to move beyond being Instagram’s sidekick, Apple’s quiet entrance is worth noting.

    Accessory deals on Amazon

    • Anker 25,000mAh power bank, 100W, USB-C: $119.99
    • Anker Foldable 3-in-1 wireless charger, 15W, Qi2: 20% off, at $71.99
    • AirPods Pro 2: 20% off, at $199.00
    • AirTag, 4 Pack: 24% off, at $74.99
    • HomeKit Smart Plug, 15A, 4 Pack: 20% off, at $34.99

    FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

    Continue Reading

  • Pentagon says US strikes set back Iran nuclear program ‘one to two years’ | US military

    Pentagon says US strikes set back Iran nuclear program ‘one to two years’ | US military

    The Pentagon has collected intelligence material that suggests Iran’s nuclear program was set back roughly one to two years as a result of the US strikes on three key facilities last month, the chief spokesperson at the defense department said at a news conference on Wednesday.

    The spokesperson, Sean Parnell, repeated Donald Trump’s claim that Iran’s key nuclear sites had been completely destroyed, although he did not offer further details on the origin of the assessments beyond saying it came from inside the defense department.

    “We have degraded their program by one to two years,” Parnell said at a news conference held at the Pentagon. “At least, intel assessments inside the department assess that.”

    Parnell’s description of the strikes marked a more measured estimate than Trump’s assertions about the level of destruction. A low-confidence Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report based on early assessments said Iran’s program was set back several months.

    The evolving picture of the severity of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program comes as US intelligence agencies have continued to push out new assessments, using materials that suggested the centrifuges at the key Fordow enrichment site were destroyed even if it was unclear whether the facility itself had caved in.

    Trump advisers have used that material, which include the use of video taken from B-2 bombers to confirm simulation models of shock waves destroying centrifuges and other Israeli intel from outside Fordow, to defend Trump’s assertions, two people familiar with the matter said.

    The extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program and the fate of the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium – which could quickly be turned into a crude nuclear weapon – is important because it could dictate how long the program has been set back.

    The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Sunday that Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months.

    “They can have in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium,” Rafael Grossi the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, adding “Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology … You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have.”

    The Pentagon’s preliminary DIA assessment, which was based on information from little more than 24 hours after the strikes, the Guardian previously reported, found the damage could range from Iran being able to restart the facility with new centrifuges to having to abandon it for future use.

    The DIA report assessed the program had been pushed back by several months, although that finding was made at the so-called “low-confidence” level, reflecting the early nature of the assessment and the uncertainty intelligence agencies have with initial conclusions.

    Trump advisers have pushed back on the DIA report and said privately the destruction of the centrifuges alone meant they had taken out a key component of Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and meant it delayed the nuclear program by years.

    Battles over the conclusions of intelligence agencies have been at the center of American foreign policy determinations for decades, from warnings about Iraq’s weapons programs that the Bush administration used to justify the 2003 invasion that were later found to be false, to claims that a Chinese lab leak was responsible for Covid.

    Still, much of the controversy about the US strikes has been generated by Trump’s claiming that they “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites, which no intelligence agency has directly repeated because it is not a characterization used in intelligence assessments.

    Verifying the extent of the damage was made more difficult on Wednesday, after Iran put into effect a new law to suspend cooperation with the IAEA. Iran has accused the nuclear watchdog of siding with western countries and providing a justification for Israel’s airstrikes.

    A state department spokesperson called the move “unacceptable” and said Iran must fully comply with its nuclear non-proliferation treaty obligations, including by providing the IAEA with information on undeclared nuclear material and providing unrestricted access to any newly announced enrichment facility.

    Continue Reading

  • France condemns Iran's detention of couple – Reuters

    1. France condemns Iran’s detention of couple  Reuters
    2. Iran charges French couple with spying for Israel  Geo.tv
    3. French diplomat visits two French nationals imprisoned in Iran  The Times of Israel
    4. French detainees in Iran charged with spying for Israel  The New Arab
    5. French diplomat visits two French detainees in Iran: minister  24 News HD

    Continue Reading

  • Salt Typhoon telecom hackers are “not actively infiltrating information.”

    Salt Typhoon telecom hackers are “not actively infiltrating information.”

    Salt Typhoon telecom hackers are “not actively infiltrating information.”

    That’s according to FBI Cyber division head Brett Leatherman, who told Cyberscoop that the China-linked hackers are “largely contained” and “dormant” in telecom networks.

    Last year, The Wall Street Journal found that Chinese hackers targeted US officials in a breach of major telecom providers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Lumen Technologies. Cybersecurity officials later recommended that Americans use encrypted apps to make calls and send texts.

    Continue Reading