nuclear energy

Italy's parliament has approved a law paving the way for the country's return to nuclear energy, decades after Italians voted to shut down nuclear power following the Chernobyl disaster. Supporters see it as a step toward energy security and lower emissions, while critics point to Italy's history of seismic risk and the 1987 referendum that closed the country's reactors.

The US dollar is trading near its strongest level in two months. A deadlock in US-Iran nuclear talks has pushed up oil prices, adding to inflationary pressure, while traders increasingly expect the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates. Higher rate expectations typically strengthen the dollar, and rising energy costs reinforce those bets, keeping the currency firm against major peers.

Iran has put forward a seven-day proposal that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened and nuclear talks resumed within a week. The plan, reported by Al Jazeera via GeoWire, links easing the strategic waterway's closure to a fresh round of diplomacy. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery for global oil shipments, so any move toward reopening it and restarting negotiations is drawing close international attention.