Morning Edition · Monday, June 29, 2026
Markets
Iran Strikes US Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain as Hormuz Ceasefire Collapses; Oil Holds Near 73 Dollars
Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched missiles and drones at US military sites in two Gulf states after fresh US airstrikes, and Tehran threatened to halt talks. Crude has not yet repriced, with Brent near 73 dollars and West Texas Intermediate near 70.
Geopolitics
China Places 40 Japanese Entities Under Export Controls, Citing Tokyo's Rearmament
Beijing's commerce ministry says the measures respond to Japan's "new militarism," extending the technology conflict from the United States to a key American ally.
Crypto
Bitcoin Slips Below 60,000 Dollars as Hard Assets Retreat With a Firmer Dollar
Gold has eased to about 4,070 dollars an ounce after a weaker month, and bitcoin trades near 59,500 dollars as hawkish Federal Reserve signals lift the dollar.
Geopolitics
Russia Rations Fuel Across Most of Its Regions as Refinery Strikes Bite
Caps on gasoline sales have spread to a majority of Russian regions, and rising fuel costs are pushing up everyday prices even as Moscow downplays the strain.
World
EU Prepares Tougher Trade Tools Against China as Deficit Nears 360 Billion Euros
Brussels weighs supply-chain mandates and sector safeguards even as it tries to keep talking to Beijing, with member states divided over how far to go.
Macro
A Stronger Shekel and Cooling Inflation Build the Case for an Israeli Rate Cut
Tel Aviv shares advanced and bank economists pointed to falling inflation expectations and currency strength as supports for a July reduction.
Geopolitics
Australia and Vanuatu Sign Pact That Blocks Foreign Military Bases
The Nakamal Agreement bars any foreign base on the Pacific island nation, a step Canberra frames as security and Beijing views with concern.
Geopolitics
Pakistan and Afghanistan Trade Strikes as Border Violence Escalates
Afghan officials say Pakistani strikes killed at least 36 civilians, while Islamabad says it hit militant hideouts after an attack on a paramilitary base in Karachi.
World
Venezuela's Earthquake Toll Passes 1,400 as the Rescue Window Narrows
Foreign teams arrive and governments pledge aid, but more than three days after the two quakes the chances of finding survivors are falling.
Geopolitics
Burkina Faso Severs Ties With France, Deepening the Sahel's Break From the West
Ouagadougou's military government cut diplomatic relations with its former colonial ruler, accusing Paris of supporting subversion, a charge France rejects.
Geopolitics
Europe Begins Planning for Defense Without the United States
Polling cited by analysts shows trust in Washington as an ally has collapsed across Europe, accelerating debate over a continental security architecture.
Tech
British American Tobacco to Cut 20 Percent of Staff and Expand Its Use of AI
The cigarette maker plans to eliminate about 9,000 jobs in a restructuring it says will save 600 million pounds by 2028.