Morning Edition · Saturday, July 18, 2026
Markets
US Strikes on Iran Enter Seventh Night as Tehran Hits Gulf Targets, Keeping a War Premium in Oil
Iran said it struck American assets in Kuwait and Jordan a week after a ceasefire collapsed, and Pakistan raised diesel prices about 31 rupees a litre, citing the higher global crude cost.
Markets
Gold Posts Its Largest Weekly Drop in Six Weeks Even as the Iran War Widens
The pullback drew buyers back to bullion and jewellery counters, while investors trimmed exposure to silver.
Macro
Bank of Japan Set to Hold Rates and Lift Growth Forecast as the Yen Stays Weak
Verbal warnings of decisive action have not moved the currency, and Apple raised the entry iPhone 17 price about 10 percent in Japan to near 143,000 yen.
Markets
Wall Street Banks Ride Asian AI Spending to Record Revenue as Alphabet and Intel Earnings Loom
Semiconductor investment raised US banks' Asian fees, but one veteran commentator warns equity markets are priced for extreme optimism.
Geopolitics
Ukrainian Drones Hit the Moscow Region Overnight, Wounding Two Dozen at a Warehouse
Russia said air defenses downed 48 drones over the Moscow region alone, part of a broad barrage that struck logistics sites deep inside the country.
Geopolitics
Incoming UK Leader Andy Burnham Faces an Early Decision on British Bases for the Iran Campaign
Washington is seeking access as its strikes on Iran resume, putting the new prime minister's stance on the war to an immediate test.
Macro
The UAE Wants to Cut Its Reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, but Its Main Ports Sit Inside It
Jebel Ali and Khalifa handle most of the country's trade from within the very waterway Abu Dhabi hopes to bypass as the Gulf war escalates.
Macro
Washington Presses the European Union to Roll Back Import Rules a Year After Its Tariff Deal
The United States is pushing Brussels to announce changes to its import regime, keeping trade pressure on even after last year's agreement to reduce US tariffs.
Tech
China Offers the Global South an Alternative Model for Governing Artificial Intelligence
President Xi Jinping pledged 5,000 training and seminar places over five years as Beijing promotes its own artificial-intelligence systems to developing countries.
Geopolitics
Manila Protests Chinese State-Media Videos as South China Sea Tensions Sharpen
The Philippines said China Daily videos depicted Filipinos as monkeys, adding a public-diplomacy dispute to an already tense maritime standoff.
World
The 2026 World Cup Delivers FIFA Its Highest Revenue Yet, Above 11 Billion Dollars
An expanded 48-team, 104-match tournament and record ticket prices turned the event into football's most lucrative, according to Israeli business daily Globes.
Markets
Indian Stocks Rise as Most of Asia Falls, With Reliance and JSW Steel Leading Earnings
The Nifty 50 gained 1.1 percent to 24,334 and the Sensex added 1.25 percent, while a busy week of initial public offerings kept domestic markets active.