August 26th, London Update: Global Markets and Geopolitical Briefing

Show Notes – Daily Briefing (26 Aug 2025)FX: Dollar softens after Trump attempts to fire Fed Governor Cook; euro holds 1.16, sterling steadies, yen choppy near 147. Antipodeans still weak.Commodities: Oil eases after Druzhba pipeline disruptions; Canada eyes investment in Japanese refining. Gold recovers on softer dollar; copper flat; Chile’s El Teniente mine faces new restart rules.Trade/Tariffs: Trump threatens major new tariffs on countries with digital taxes, warns China on magnets; U.S. and China resume trade talks this week; Canada–U.S. meet after tariff removals; Mercosur–Canada free trade talks to restart.Geopolitics:Middle East: Trump calls for Gaza settlement within weeks; Australia expels Iran’s ambassador, will list IRGC as terror group.Russia–Ukraine: Zelensky meets U.S. envoy Kellogg; Trump says talks with Putin include nuclear issues; warns he may step in if Putin/Zelensky don’t meet soon.Koreas: Trump and South Korea’s Lee pledge closer cooperation; North Korea denounces U.S.–ROK drills, said capable of producing 10–20 nuclear weapons per year.UK/Europe: UK think tank warns unemployment may reach 5%, highest since early 2021.