Good evening. North Sea oil prices have hit record highs as Iran maintains its grip over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a Washington-Tehran ceasefire agreement that's failed to ease the global energy crunch. The situation remains volatile with Israeli strikes on Lebanon continuing - over 300 people died in Wednesday's attacks alone, prompting the PM to call for an immediate halt. Netanyahu has authorized talks with Lebanon following Trump's intervention, though the military campaign against Hizbollah threatens the fragile US-Iran truce. Markets are trying to stay optimistic, with the S&P 500 posting its longest winning streak since October on ceasefire hopes.
Meanwhile, Melania Trump made a surprise statement today denying any connection to Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters the rumors "need to stop" and calling on Congress to hear from his victims. On the tech front, ChatGPT has launched its $100-a-month Pro plan, while the EFF became the latest major organization to abandon X entirely. And in a notable shift, Volkswagen is dropping its all-electric ID.4 in the US market as part of a broader pivot back to gas-powered SUVs.