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Global oil markets remain on edge as geopolitical tensions in West Asia continue to disrupt the vital Strait of Hormuz, a key route through which a significant share of the world’s crude oil supply passes. The ongoing confrontation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has injected fresh uncertainty into energy markets, with traders closely monitoring the situation for any signs that shipping activity could safely resume. The volatility in crude prices has also begun to spill over into global equity markets, where investors are reacting sharply to developments on the geopolitical front.

Speaking to ET Now, market strategist Ed Yardeni from Yardeni Research said the biggest factor driving oil market sentiment is the uncertainty around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. “Well, a lot of it is, of course, the Strait of Hormuz. Right now, it is effectively closed and everybody is trying to guess when it might be opened again.”

According to Yardeni, stability will depend largely on how quickly the conflict de-escalates and whether the threat to tanker traffic diminishes. “As long as Iran does not concede or agree that they have lost the war, there are still going to be missiles and drones flying in the Middle East.” He added that tangible signs of normalcy would only emerge once ships begin moving safely through the strategic passage. “I will turn more optimistic when I see that a few tankers actually make it through the strait without any incident.”

Financial markets have also been rattled by mixed signals from Washington over whether the United States Navy is escorting oil tankers across the strait. Such statements and subsequent denials have triggered abrupt swings in both crude prices and global stocks. Yardeni noted that even if Iran’s ability to deploy ballistic missiles is constrained, drone attacks could still pose a major threat to shipping operations in the region.

“Yes, drones can do plenty of damage and can effectively continue this blockade.” He also pointed out that the risks for ship operators and crew members remain considerable. “Even if you can get insurance, you may not want to subject your tankers to that kind of risk.”

Looking ahead, Yardeni warned that markets may be underestimating the uncertainty surrounding the conflict. “It is a dangerous situation and there are still a lot of surprises that could happen. It is the fog of war.” For now, he believes investors are largely betting on a favourable outcome. “The market has chosen to discount the best outcome — a short war and an open Strait of Hormuz with oil flowing.”
The International Energy Agency has indicated that its member countries could release additional supplies if disruptions worsen, a move aimed at calming the market in the short term. However, Yardeni cautioned that such measures would only provide temporary relief if the geopolitical situation fails to stabilise. “Oil from strategic petroleum reserves can help in the short run, but if the war does not end quickly, it would not help much.” For investors around the world, the direction of oil prices — and by extension financial markets — may ultimately depend on whether tensions ease enough to allow safe passage through one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

Workplace benefits are changing with modern working life

Workplace benefits have evolved well beyond salary, annual leave and pensions. Over time, flexible working, wellbeing initiatives and other practical forms of support have become part of what employees expect from a good employer. Businesses have realised that people judge a workplace not only on pay, but on whether it feels current, useful and responsive to everyday life.

That same shift is now reaching workplace facilities.

As electric vehicles become more common, employees are starting to think differently about what makes a workplace convenient. For EV drivers, charging is not a novelty. It is part of planning the commute, managing weekly travel and making day-to-day life run smoothly. In that context, access to charging at work is beginning to emerge as a meaningful benefit rather than a niche extra.

For employers, the principle is straightforward. The most valued workplace perks are often the ones that remove friction. A charger in the car park may not be flashy, but for staff who drive electric, it can make a noticeable difference.

Why businesses are beginning to install workplace charging

The Full EV, a UK specialist in home, workplace and commercial charging solutions, works with organisations that are adapting to the rise of electric vehicles and the infrastructure demands that come with them.

From that perspective, businesses are not adding chargers simply to appear progressive. They are responding to a practical change in employee behaviour. As more people switch to EVs, companies are increasingly asking whether their sites are properly set up for how staff and visitors now travel.

As electric vehicles become more common, businesses are beginning to rethink how their workplaces support employees who drive EVs. Installing EV charging for businesses is increasingly being seen as a practical step for companies looking to support staff while preparing for the future of transport.

This marks an important change in mindset. Charging is no longer being treated purely as an environmental gesture or a project for later. It is becoming part of the broader conversation about what makes a workplace fit for purpose. Just as employers adapted to new expectations around flexibility and wellbeing, they are now starting to respond to changing transport habits too.

Why the rise of EVs is changing expectations around workplace facilities

The growth in EV ownership is gradually reshaping what employees notice about a workplace. Facilities have always mattered. Parking, accessibility and cycling support all affect how a business is experienced day to day. Charging points are increasingly becoming part of that same picture.

Expectations rarely shift overnight. They build steadily. What begins as a thoughtful extra can soon become a point of difference between employers. Over time, it starts to feel like a sensible feature that a modern business should at least have considered.

For employees who drive electric vehicles, workplace charging can reduce reliance on public chargers and make commuting easier to manage. Even for staff who mainly work from home, having the option at work offers added reassurance and flexibility. It can help a workplace feel more supportive of how people live now, rather than how they lived ten years ago.

There is also a wider message behind it. A company that provides charging infrastructure signals practical thinking, future readiness and a willingness to adapt. Those qualities matter, especially in competitive sectors where attracting and retaining good people depends on offering a workplace that feels relevant and well considered.

How EV charging can support employees, fleets and visitors

One reason workplace charging is gaining traction is that it supports more than one need at once.

For employees, the benefit is immediate. Charging during the working day can make EV ownership easier and reduce pressure around commuting routines. That convenience often matters more than novelty.

For businesses with company vehicles, charging also supports fleet planning. Whether an organisation already uses electric vehicles or is only beginning to consider them, having infrastructure on site makes future changes easier to manage. It allows businesses to prepare steadily rather than rush later.

Visitors matter too. Clients, suppliers and partners are also making the switch to EVs, and a workplace with charging provision can be more convenient for the people coming and going. That may seem like a small detail, but it helps shape the overall impression a business leaves behind.

Why forward-thinking companies see EV charging as part of the modern workplace

Forward-thinking companies know that a workplace is judged by how well it supports the people who use it every day. That is why EV charging is starting to join the wider conversation around meaningful workplace benefits.

As more employees drive electric vehicles, and as businesses plan for long-term operational change, charging is becoming an increasingly practical part of the workplace mix. It supports staff, helps prepare for fleet changes and signals that a company is keeping pace with modern expectations.

In that sense, EV charging is not simply about vehicles. It is about creating a workplace that feels useful, relevant and ready for what comes next.

Apple iPhone users will be able to add new emojis to their conversations when the latest iOS update rolls out.

The iOS 26.4 beta 4 was released to developers on Monday, according to 9to5Mac, and is expected to be available to the public later this month.

The new emojis were approved by the Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit body for the internationalization of software and services.

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The organization maintains a character encoding standard, Unicode, which it says is “embedded in every major operating system and used on more than 20 billion devices worldwide.”

The latest emojis are part of the Unicode 17 standard, and will also be added to Android, Windows, social media apps and more, though design and release dates are different.

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New emojis included in the iOS 26.4 update are:

– Landslide

– Trombone

– Distorted face

– Treasure chest

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– Ballet dancer

– Orca

– Fight cloud

– Hairy creature (Bigfoot/Sasquatch)

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The update also adds 150 new skin tones for certain existing icons.

The United Kingdom stands at a seismic shift in its cyber landscape. As the digital backbone of a global financial hub, the UK’s reliance on secure communication has never been higher.

However, a critical deadline looms: the NCSC is officially retiring its Mail Check and Web Check services by March 31, 2026. This transition shifts the full responsibility for DMARC enforcement directly onto individual organizations, removing a long-standing national safety net.

According to PowerDMARC’s new United Kingdom DMARC & MTA-STS Adoption Report 2026, the nation is in a state of “partial readiness.” While British organizations have been diligent in checking the “authentication” box, they have largely ignored the encryption and integrity layers required to thwart modern, AI-driven phishing attacks. The data reveals that the gap between simply having a record and actually enforcing it has become a national security emergency.

Key Insights at a Glance

• SPF Correctness: A strong foundation with 93.7% correct implementation, showing high technical literacy across the 875 domains analyzed. While it is great to see that most UK organizations have set up SPF correctly, it’s worth noting that “correct” doesn’t always mean safe or secure; it can be correct but still be too broad or easily bypassed. These organizations can use a free SPF record checker to ensure their SPF records are not only correct but also secure.
• DMARC Enforcement: Only 44.1% of domains have reached the gold standard of p=reject, meaning more than half the country remains vulnerable to active spoofing. It’s an open invitation for scammers to send emails that look like they’re coming from your official domain, which makes it hard for customers and partners to understand which messages are really from you and which ones are from scammers.
• MTA-STS Adoption: A standout 20.6% adoption rate, significantly higher than the global average, driven by NCSC mandates, yet leaving nearly 80% of mail traffic exposed to interception.
• DNSSEC: A critical weak point, enabled on just 3.8% of domains, leaving the vast majority of UK organizations at risk of DNS hijacking and cache poisoning.
• The Sector Gap: While Banking & Finance leads in enforcement (61.3% p=reject), the Transport & Logistics sector is the most exposed, with over 26% of domains lacking any DMARC record entirely. This can create a “soft target” for attackers who exploit these less-defended supply chains to intercept high-value shipment data.

Key takeaway: 18.9% of UK domains use a p=none policy. This provides visibility but offers zero protection, creating a false sense of security while attackers continue to spoof official identities to initiate fraudulent transfers or steal sensitive PII.

How PowerDMARC Supports UK Organizations

PowerDMARC provides a streamlined, automated path to securing the nation’s email channels ahead of the NCSC Mail Check retirement:

• Automated DMARC Enforcement: Safely migrating organizations from p=none to p=reject without blocking critical business communications or departmental mail flow.
• SPF Macros Optimization: Overcoming the “10-lookup limit” that frequently breaks deliverability for large organizations with complex digital stacks. In simple terms, once your list of third-party senders gets too long, your SPF record breaks, and emails start bouncing. PowerDMARC uses macros to “flatten” these records, so that your email gets through no matter how many cloud tools your team adds to the pile.
• Hosted MTA-STS: Closing the encryption gap with a single click to force all email transit into encrypted TLS 1.2+ channels, preventing “Downgrade Attacks.” By hosting the policy for you, PowerDMARC handles the complex web server and certificate maintenance, so that your communications stay private without your IT team having to do all the job by itself.
• Regulatory Readiness: Simplifying compliance with GDPR, UK Cyber Essentials, and PCI-DSS 4.0 by automating anti-phishing protocols.

UK organizations can contact PowerDMARC to turn their visibility into a shield, ensuring their digital reputation is protected in an era of sophisticated, AI-generated fraud.

About PowerDMARC

PowerDMARC is a leading email authentication and domain protection platform, offering comprehensive solutions including DMARC, SPF, DKIM, BIMI, MTA-STS, TLS-RPT, and hosted reporting with AI-powered threat intelligence. The platform secures email ecosystems for over 10,000 organizations across more than 100 countries. PowerDMARC is MSP/MSSP-ready and holds SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR compliance certifications.