Morning Edition · Friday, June 12, 2026
Markets
Oil Slides Toward Eight-Week Low as Iran Deal Hopes Lift Stocks and Bonds
Falling crude prices eased the energy costs that have driven inflation higher across Europe, and stocks and government bonds also advanced.
Geopolitics
Trump Says Iran Accord Is Close, Tehran Says Nothing Is Final
Pakistan, acting as mediator, said a final text had been reached and a signing could come in Switzerland within days, but President Trump dismissed the terms leaked by Iranian media as false and Iran's foreign ministry said deliberations were not complete.
Markets
SpaceX Set to Begin Trading at 1.8 Trillion Dollars in Largest Listing on Record
Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company priced its shares at 135 dollars, then rose 19 percent on its Nasdaq debut, the largest initial public offering on record and the moment that made Musk the world's first trillionaire.
Markets
China Urges Open Trade Before Summits That Could Set Off a Clash With Europe
Beijing called on major economies to keep markets open as it prepares for meetings next week, while domestic retail sales showed little growth.
Markets
India Defends Russian Oil Purchases and Says Washington Once Asked for Them
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar told a forum in Finland that the United States had urged India to keep buying Russian crude to steady markets, then imposed tariffs over the same purchases.
Geopolitics
Russia and Ukraine Trade Overnight Strikes as Energy War Grinds On
Ukraine reported a large Russian drone barrage on Kyiv and Mykolaiv, while Russian-aligned authorities said dozens of Ukrainian drones were downed over occupied regions.
Markets
China Steps Up Public Enforcement but Frames It as Routine, Not a Crackdown
Regulators have summoned executives and opened high-profile investigations, marking a shift from the low-key approach that followed the damaging 2021 technology clampdown.
Markets
Iran War Keeps Inflation Elevated Across Europe as Energy Costs Linger
Spanish inflation held at 3.2 percent for a third month, supported by emergency tax cuts, while British output contracted because of higher energy costs.
Geopolitics
China Detains American Researcher on Suspicion of Spying
Beijing's foreign ministry confirmed the arrest of a scholar who studies the politics of neighboring Myanmar, adding friction to an already strained relationship.
Markets
Hong Kong Moves to Waive Tax on Fund Managers' Bonuses to Court Wealth
A bill gazetted Friday would exempt performance-linked pay from salary tax, the latest step in the city's effort to rebuild its standing as an asset-management center.
Geopolitics
Marcos Heads to Russia for Summit, Testing Manila's Balance Between Powers
The Philippine president will join a meeting of Moscow and Southeast Asian leaders next week, a visit Washington and Beijing will watch closely.
Geopolitics
NATO to Reduce Troops in Kosovo as Washington Pulls Back From Europe
The alliance cited an improved security situation, even as European governments confront a widening gap left by the American drawdown.
Geopolitics
Israel's Buffer Zone in Lebanon Raises Questions Over Offshore Gas
A zone extending into Lebanese maritime territory has prompted concern that it could become a long-term claim on contested energy reserves.