Agency-compiled ship-tracking data show Belgium, Europe’s fifth-largest LNG importer last year, relied entirely on Russian LNG imports in July after Middle East fighting sharply reduced supplies to Europe. July LNG inflows to Belgium were down more than 40% YoY; shipments from Russia totaled about 400,000 tonnes. Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have kept gas prices elevated and led many European buyers to defer LNG purchases for winter storage. The reliance highlights a poli

Air-raid alerts issued in Kyiv and multiple regions across Ukraine.

Proton Lithium (3PL) reported discovery of the largest known US tungsten deposit at its Railroad Valley Minerals Project in eastern Nevada, estimating 1.78 million tonnes of resource. At current prices 3PL values the deposit at roughly $152 billion; if commercially viable it would exceed the US second‑largest tungsten deposit by more than fivefold. About one‑third of the mineral rights overlap a NASA satellite‑tracking site; NASA has warned mining could threaten that facility and the company’s published resource does not include the NASA‑restricted area. 3PL noted the US ceased domestic tungsten production roughly a decade ago and now relies on imports, framing the find as a national‑security issue. Tungsten is critical for cutting tools, mining equipment, aerospace components and semiconductor manufacture; tight global supply has driven prices up ~600% since Feb 2025, supported by rising demand from EVs, aerospace, defense, electronics and industrial manufacturing. Market research estimates the global tungsten market at $5.4–7.3 billion in 2025, rising to $9.0–11.6 billion by 2034–35 (CAGR 4.8–8.1%).