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Traffic by tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz has picked up amid the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the war, which has caused oil prices to decline with more supply hitting the market.

The two sides have agreed to open the key shipping route for oil during the negotiations after the U.S. instituted a naval blockade and Iran laid sea mines that deterred shipping from moving through the narrow chokepoint.

The Strait of Hormuz’s central channel is yet to be cleared of Iranian mines, which has caused ships making the transit to either pass through a northern channel in Iran’s territorial waters or a southern channel in Oman’s waters. The U.S. Navy is overseeing transits along the southern route, while Iran issued a demand last week that vessels use the northern route through its waters.

Shipping traffic rose over the weekend to the highest level since the conflict began at the end of February, with 109 vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz from Saturday through Monday, according to Kpler, a firm which tracks global shipping traffic.

OIL PRICES FLUCTUATE AS TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL COULD FULLY REOPEN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is rising amid U.S.-Iran negotiations, though it remains below pre-war levels amid the threat of mines. (Reuters/Hamad I Mohammed)

President Donald Trump said Tuesday in a post on his Truth social media platform that, “19 Million Barrels of Oil flowed out of the Hormuz Strait yesterday, an all time RECORD. Oil prices are tumbling down, and the World is a much safer place!!!”

Despite the rise in shipping traffic, it remains lower than the more than 130 ships per day that transited the strait on a typical day before the conflict began, the New York Times reported. 

There also remains a backlog of hundreds of ships waiting to pass through the strait, according to the International Maritime Organization.

OIL PRICES PLUNGE TO LOWEST LEVELS SINCE EARLY MARCH AFTER TRUMP SIGNS IRAN DEAL

President Donald Trump touted the rise in oil traffic amid the negotiations with Iran. (Getty Images)

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a U.S.-led international maritime security organization based in Bahrain, lowered the regional threat level to moderate on June 18 after the U.S. and Iran agreed to open the waterway during the 60-day negotiating window.

However, it noted there have been confirmed mines in the waterway and recommended vessels use the southern route near Oman as it has been cleared of mines.

“Mariners should be advised of the existence of mines and expect naval presence as clearance operations continue,” JMIC said in its announcement. “Mariners should also expect congestion through transit routes and potential VHF hailing from naval forces to support free flow.”

ZELDIN TOUTS US ENERGY FUTURE, SAYS INDO-PACIFIC NATIONS INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN AMERICAN SUPPLY

Tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz declined precipitously amid the Iran war. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)

The uptick in oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz has eased global oil prices, which surged to trade above $100 a barrel at times during the first two months of the conflict. 

Prices for Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, were around $75 a barrel on Tuesday after declining about 0.3% on the day and over 4.5% in the past five days.

They also declined for the U.S. crude benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, which was about $73 a barrel on Tuesday after declining roughly 0.8% on the day and around 7.7% over the last five trading days.

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Rising oil supplies from the Middle East with the return of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has also caused a shift in prices for North Sea crude, with prices for Forties crude from the North Sea trading at its lowest level in two years on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

A Chinese supercomputer system surpassed an American computer for the world’s fastest, according to an industry list published in Hamburg, Germany, on Tuesday, giving China the edge over the U.S. with the fastest supercomputer for the first time since 2017.

LineShine, a system built by the Shenzhen Cloud Computing Center in China, took the crown from El Capitan, a supercomputer housed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, which had reigned supreme since November 2024.

The last time China held the top spot was in 2017, when the Sunway TaihuLight was ranked No. 1. The U.S. had held the top spot consistently since dethroning Japan’s Fugaku in 2021.

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A computer blade for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise El Capitan supercomputer at the HPE Discover event at the Sphere in Las Vegas on June 24, 2025. (Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

LineShine, unlike the majority of high-end supercomputers, is not powered by graphics processing units (GPUs) such as the ones made by chip manufacturer Nvidia. The new compute champion, instead, runs on standard central processing units (CPUs). In total, LineShine runs on over 13 million CPUs, according to the TOP500 List.

The TOP500 List uses a metric called the High Performance Linpack (HPL) benchmark to measure supercomputer performance. Evaluating a computer along this benchmark involves making the system run a protracted series of calculations, pushing the system to its limit in an attempt to ascertain how much computing it can actually do.

“This performance does not reflect the overall performance of a given system, as no single number ever can. It does, however, reflect the performance of a dedicated system for solving a dense system of linear equations,” the TOP500 list writes on its website.

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Using this benchmark, TOP500 determined that LineShine performed 20% better than El Capitan.

The Hewlett Packard Enterprise El Capitan supercomputer at the HPE Discover event at the Sphere in Las Vegas on June 24, 2025. (Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

LineShine’s entrance onto the list also made it the fifth supercomputer in the world to demonstrate exascale capacity, meaning it can perform one quintillion calculations per second.

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While China nabbed the top spot, the U.S. still dominated the rankings overall, holding the second, third and fourth spots with El Capitan, Frontier and Aurora.

President Donald Trump shows an executive order he signed at the White House related to quantum computing on June 22, 2026. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The Chinese computer’s debut on the list comes one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order related to quantum computing, moving the U.S. to upgrade its efforts in the emerging technology that some experts say will transform the computing landscape.

In two of Northern Ireland’s port towns, the starkly different economic impacts of the 10 years since Brexit come to life.

In Larne, garden centre owner John Shannon points to a £387 “export charge” he must now pay just to bring in roses from Great Britain (GB).

In Warrenpoint, food manufacturer Brian Reid sees a different reality.

“Off the back of the Brexit vote, we picked up a lot of customers who wanted to source on the island of Ireland,” he said.

In the 10 years since the referendum result that saw the UK leave the EU, Northern Ireland’s economy has outperformed the UK average on some key measures.

Northern Ireland has a Brexit deal which means it has a closer economic relationship with the European Union (EU) than other parts of the UK.

It is tempting to conclude the better performance is all due to that special deal.

The reality is more complicated than that.

Part of the story is Northern Ireland undergoing a delayed recovery having suffered a deeper and longer recession following the 2008 financial crisis and property crash.

On a wider note, Brexit set the tone of politics in Northern Ireland for years, leading to the suspension of devolution between 2022 and 2024. Its impacts remain divisive and contested.

EES started to be rolled out in October last year and is now fully up and running.

The time it takes to register biometric information means people have been told to prepare for a wait at border controls.

During the introductory period, queues started to flare up at certain airports at busy times.

Since then, the system has been working well in some airports, while waits of several hours have been reported at others.

A representative of airline trade body IATA has warned queues in some places could be as long as six hours.

Travel experts and industry figures have blamed problems with the technology and border staffing levels. There have also been reports of people having to register their biometric information more than once.

The UK boss of Wizz Air told the BBC passengers should be prepared for a wait, and turn up three hours before their flight home.

Some passengers have missed flights home because the wait for EES checks meant they could not reach their gate in time.

Whether airlines will hold flights for passengers who get held up is a mixed picture. Some say they will wait wherever possible, while Ryanair is an example of a carrier which has said it will not.

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He has joined the board of N3XUS

Former First Minister Vaughan Gething has taken up a new role with a company that supports governments, companies and investors to implement and monitor their environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies.

Mr Gething, who stood down as an MS at the Senedd Election May, has been appointed to the board of N3XUS as a non executive director.

The firm, which has a growing international client base, has offices in Dubai, Florida, New York , London and Cardiff. It provides a single reporting infrastructure where carbon, social and governance evidence is captured and verified once and then mapped to the standards organisations report against.

It said that each disclosure is tied back to audit-ready records, so regulators, financiers and boards can rely on measurable claims aligned with recognised global standards.

Its clients include the US Military of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Erisha Smart Manufacturing Hub in the United Arab Emirates.

In a LinkedIn statement the company said: “We are delighted to announce that Vaughan Gething, former First Minister of Wales, has joined the N3XUS board as a non-executive director. Vaughan brings extensive experience in leadership, economic development, workforce transformation and public-private collaboration. His insight and strategic guidance will be invaluable as N3XUS continues its growth across the UK, US, UAE and international markets.

“This appointment represents another important step in strengthening our Board and accelerating our mission to deliver measurable economic, social and environmental impact through innovation, technology and sustainability.

“We look forward to working with Vaughan as we continue to expand the reach and impact of N3XUS.”

Mr Gething succeeded Mark Drakeford as First Minister in April 2024 but only held the role at the helm of then Labour Government for four months. He quit after increasing calls for his resignation from some Labour colleagues over the level of financial support – while within the rules – he received from businessman David Neal towards his successful leadership campaign against rival Jeremy Miles.

Mr Neal had been the subject to a number of suspended sentences relating to environmental discharge breaches brought by Natural Resources Wales involving subsidiary companies in his Dauson Environmental Group.

NEW YORK — AJ Dybantsa has emerged as one of the most anticipated young talents in basketball, captivating fans and scouts with his scoring prowess and athleticism during a standout freshman season at Brigham Young University.

The 6-foot-9 forward from Brockton, Massachusetts, declared for the 2026 NBA Draft after leading the nation in scoring and earning consensus first-team All-American honors. Projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick, Dybantsa blends size, skill, and basketball IQ in a package reminiscent of modern NBA wings.

Here are 10 essential things to know about the rising star as he prepares for the next chapter of his career.

1. Explosive Freshman Campaign at BYU

Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 35 starts for the Cougars during the 2025-26 season. He shot 51 percent from the field and became the fifth Division I player in the last 40 seasons to score 25 or more points per game as a freshman. His 894 points ranked third all-time among Division I freshmen.

The performance earned him numerous accolades, including the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and multiple national player of the week honors. Dybantsa set numerous BYU freshman records, including a 43-point outburst against Utah.

2. Elite Physical Tools

At the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, Dybantsa measured 6 feet 8.5 inches tall with a 7-foot-0.5-inch wingspan and an 8-foot-10 standing reach. Weighing 217 pounds, he possesses the length and athleticism prized in today’s perimeter-oriented game. His frame allows him to finish through contact while maintaining guard-like skills.

Scouts highlight his ability to create shots off the dribble and his defensive versatility. The combination of size and fluidity positions him as a potential two-way impact player at the professional level.

3. Historic Triple-Double Achievement

Dybantsa recorded a 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, becoming one of just two players in Big 12 Conference history to achieve the feat. The performance underscored his all-around game and ability to dominate in multiple statistical categories.

His playmaking vision and passing accuracy complement his scoring instincts, making him a threat to impact games in various ways. This versatility has drawn comparisons to high-level NBA wings who can create for themselves and teammates.

4. International Experience and Accolades

Dybantsa boasts an impressive USA Basketball résumé. He earned MVP honors at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup and contributed to multiple gold medal-winning teams. His international success demonstrated composure under pressure and the ability to perform against global competition.

He was the youngest participant at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit and stood out in several showcase events. These experiences helped refine his game and build confidence heading into college and the professional ranks.

5. High School Dominance

Before arriving at BYU, Dybantsa was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2025 high school class. He played at Utah Prep, where his scoring and athletic displays made him a national prospect. His recruitment drew significant attention from top programs before he committed to the Cougars.

Dybantsa’s high school career featured numerous highlight-reel dunks and scoring outbursts that foreshadowed his college success. His development trajectory has been closely followed by NBA talent evaluators.

6. Family Background and Roots

The son of Chelsea and Ace Dybantsa, AJ comes from a supportive family with Jamaican heritage. His parents have been instrumental in his basketball journey, providing guidance and encouragement throughout his rise. Family involvement remains central to his personal and professional story.

Dybantsa has maintained strong community ties, participating in youth programs and giving back in his hometown area. His grounded personality and work ethic have impressed those around him at every level.

7. NBA Draft Projections

Dybantsa is widely expected to be selected among the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Mock drafts frequently place him in the top three, with some teams viewing him as a potential No. 1 overall choice. His combination of scoring ability and physical tools makes him an attractive prospect for rebuilding franchises.

Analysts praise his shot creation and potential to develop into a high-level scorer. Teams seeking perimeter talent with size see significant upside in his game. Dybantsa has expressed excitement about joining a competitive environment.

8. Record-Setting Freshman Milestones

Beyond leading the nation in scoring, Dybantsa achieved several program and conference milestones. His freshman records at BYU highlight the immediate impact he made. The 2025-26 season positioned him among the most productive first-year players in recent college basketball history.

Awards included consensus first-team All-American recognition and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. These accomplishments validated his status as one of the premier young talents in the sport.

9. Work Ethic and Maturity

Observers consistently note Dybantsa’s professional approach and dedication to improvement. Despite his youth, he has demonstrated maturity beyond his years in handling media attention and competitive pressure. His commitment to daily development has been a hallmark of his progression.

Coaches and teammates have praised his leadership qualities and positive influence in the locker room. These intangibles could accelerate his transition to the NBA level.

10. Bright Future Ahead

As Dybantsa prepares for the NBA, expectations remain high. His freshman dominance and physical gifts suggest a high ceiling. The upcoming draft represents the next step in what many believe will be a long and successful professional career.

With teams prioritizing versatile wings, Dybantsa enters the league at an opportune time. His journey from high school phenom to college standout to NBA prospect exemplifies dedication and talent. Fans and analysts alike will watch closely as he begins his professional chapter.

Dybantsa’s story continues to inspire young athletes. His rapid rise underscores the rewards of hard work and opportunity in basketball. As one of the most talked-about prospects in recent years, he carries significant expectations but has shown the ability to perform under the spotlight.

The chancellor’s adviser on entrepreneurs has warned that the machinery of government has already been “frozen for six weeks”, and cautioned that the change of prime minister amounts to a “colossal waste of energy” at the very moment British business needs decisions, not delay.

Alex Depledge, the serial entrepreneur appointed by Rachel Reeves as an adviser last June, said she feared Whitehall would remain stalled for many months while a new political leadership beds in.

“We are going to lose six months, at best, probably a year once you start to brief the new ministers coming in. It is just a colossal waste of energy. The British people deserve better,” she told an audience of business leaders at The Times Entrepreneurs Network Live event in London.

Depledge, co-founder and former chief executive of the architecture technology platform Resi, made her comments a day after Sir Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister, clearing the way for Andy Burnham to become the next leader. The future of Reeves as chancellor remains unclear.

The intervention is the latest warning from the business world about the cost of prolonged uncertainty in Westminster, a theme that has dominated boardroom conversation ever since founders and MPs began cautioning that Britain’s tax system is, in effect, telling entrepreneurs to leave.

Depledge said it was now very difficult to make meaningful progress inside government. “It is about carving out what we can get done within the parameters in which we are allowed to operate,” she said. “There is some stuff we can’t do any more, but there are other things you can.

“My biggest fear is that I have to spend another year trying to get new ministers and new people to understand the burning platform and the need to move at speed.”

Separately, Gareth Quarry, a Labour donor, investor and long-standing director of the legal recruitment consultancy SSQ, called for Wes Streeting to become the next chancellor.

Quarry, a former Conservative donor who gave £150,000 to Labour before the general election, said: “Wes would make an excellent chancellor because the City wouldn’t be spooked by him. I’m a businessman with a large number of businesses. I also hold significant assets in gilts.”

He said Streeting would “command the respect” of the City, adding: “And that is going to be fundamental as to what comes next. That’s assuming it’s not going to continue to be Rachel.”

Another Labour donor and business leader, speaking confidentially, said Ed Miliband was “too ideological” and “clearly just doesn’t understand what energy security means”. They added that Reeves, who although had “made mistakes, would not be a bad outcome” if she continued as chancellor.

The succession debate lands against a backdrop of mounting anxiety among wealth creators, with Reeves repeatedly warned against “anti-enterprise tax rises” and growing evidence that Britain is facing one of the largest exoduses of millionaires of any major economy.

Also speaking at the TEN Live event, Harry Stebbings, who has invested more than $550 million in promising young companies across a series of venture capital funds and is founder of the popular tech podcast 20VC, said that, if asked, he would advise Burnham not to raise taxes on investors and entrepreneurs.

“Don’t fing bring in a wealth tax. We’ll all fing go,” he said. “I have looked at Monaco and it is not as good as Dubai. Probably Milan or Athens. Touching a wealth tax would really kill the investor side and the founder side.”

His warning chimes with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which has cautioned that the more an annual wealth tax is concentrated on the very wealthy, the more it would incentivise them to leave, or simply never come to, the UK in the first place.

Stebbings, who has previously argued the UK should adopt a zero per cent capital gains rate for global talent, said the priority should be attracting and keeping the people who build companies.

“The most important thing is that we get amazing talent-building [companies] in the UK. Let’s give unbelievably easy access to high-talented people to come and build in our country. Income tax free for the first year, why not?

“If you are an amazing entrepreneur and want to build your company in this country we’ll give you no capital gains for the life of your business. We could be so creative, and this is the crime of politicians, that none of them has had a proper job. When it comes to creativity and figuring out a solution that works for the country, it is ‘let’s go back to a think tank’.”

For Britain’s founders, the message from the room was blunt: the country cannot afford to spend another year with its hands tied while Westminster works out who is in charge.

Paul Jones

Harvard alumni and former New York Times journalist. Editor of Business Matters for over 15 years, the UKs largest business magazine. I am also head of Capital Business Media’s automotive division working for clients such as Red Bull Racing, Honda, Aston Martin and Infiniti.