August 2026
All columns and Brief analyses.
10 results
Energy expansion meets pipelines, courts and corruption claims
US drilling activity is rising, but a New Mexico pipeline delay, Kazakhstan’s Kashagan claim and South Africa’s Shell ruling show how schedules, courts and governance can constrain energy investment.
Financial capital changed course from a crypto bank to Alphabet
A crypto venture won preliminary approval for a national trust bank, Berkshire increased its Alphabet stake and India closed a subsidised dollar-deposit window early, showing capital channels being reset.
Genomes and ground radar recovered hidden histories
Ancient genomes from Fiji and Tonga revised the timeline of Pacific settlement as ground radar mapped a medieval Danish convent beneath a sports field, making lost histories visible through different tools.
Hormuz ceasefire nears its deadline as pressure widens
As the US-Iran ceasefire approaches expiry, talks are frozen; Washington’s sovereignty claim, Canadian sanctions and attacks on UAE vessels are pushing the Hormuz confrontation beyond the negotiating table.
Hormuz closure redraws Asian oil routes
With Hormuz barrels trapped, Asian refiners are buying US crude as Russia expands in India; a Malaysian cargo bound for California and longer tanker blackouts show trade routes shifting quickly.
Institutions move to track AI agents
Institutions are using registries and traces to make AI agents visible, while a 12-wave attack on Taiwan and adoption by three intrusion groups show the security consequences of weak oversight.
Kabul seeks investment and an embassy as half of women's groups face closure
The Taliban government is asking Washington for an embassy and mining investment as Afghan women describe daily restrictions. Funding cuts now threaten to close half of the country's women-led groups.
Modi sets chip and nuclear deadlines as coal demand is expected to grow through 2030
Modi set deadlines for a domestic chip and nuclear expansion, while a separate forecast puts coal demand at 1.6 billion tonnes by 2030. Industrial growth is also enlarging the transition's fossil burden.
New Delhi keeps the Indus treaty suspended and casts the water shift as a gain for farmers
New Delhi says its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty remains unchanged despite Pakistan's warning. President Murmu presents the move as redirecting water that previously crossed the border to Indian farmers.
New missions prepare to listen to the Moon's radio silence
CosmoCube would orbit the lunar far side to hear the cosmic dark ages, while Africa2Moon plans a south-pole radio array for 2029, expanding lunar astronomy as human transmissions threaten the Moon’s quiet spectrum.