Iran’s Determination to Break Out From the Panopticon of Western 360° Containment

Cocoa Prices Rally As Jefferies Warns Of "Perfect Storm" In West Africa Cocoa futures in New York have doubled since the start of March and have now climbed back toward levels not seen since late 2025, around $6,000 a ton, as Jefferies analysts warn that a "perfect storm's a-brewing" across West Africa, the world's top cocoa-farming region. Jefferies analyst Scott Marks wrote in a note on Tuesday that new weather concerns center on Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world's top cocoa-growing regions. He said that temperatures in both countries have been about...

Inflation Fears Fade As War Drags UMich Sentiment Lower After rebounding solidly in January and February, expectations were for a modest decline in UMich Sentiment in preliminary March data and analysts were right but the 55.5 print (from 56.6 prior) was better than the 54.8 expected. Current Conditions actually improved, surprising to the upside (57.8 vs 56.6 prior vs 54.9 exp) Expectations fell more than expected (54.1 vs 56.6 prior vs 54.5 exp) Current Conditions are at their highest level since October while expectations are at their lowest since November. Source: Bloomberg Interviews for this...

Central Banks Bought 23 Tonnes Of Gold In July Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times, Central banks worldwide purchased a net 23 tonnes of gold in July, in line with the overall yearly trend, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). Gold bars weighing 1000 grams each are displayed at the Austrian Gold and Silver Refinery (Oegussa) in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 3, 2026. Georg Hochmuth/APA/AFP via Getty Images The largest buyer last month was China, which bought 20 tonnes, according to a Sept. 3 WGC report. "Notably, activity from the People's...