Morning Edition · Thursday, July 23, 2026
Markets
Oil Climbs Past $94 as Houthis Strike Saudi Tankers and US Bombs Iran for a 12th Day
Brent rose 4.6 percent to top $98 a barrel on Thursday, its highest since late May, after tankers were struck off Saudi Arabia and Washington played down diplomacy, with two shipping chokepoints now disrupted by attacks.
Geopolitics
US Strikes Iran for 12th Consecutive Day as Tehran Hits American Bases in Kuwait
Washington deployed a B-1 bomber for the first time since fighting resumed, and Iran's foreign minister declared an "eye for an eye" doctrine.
Macro
Oil Shock Revives Fed Rate-Hike Bets, Lifting Yields and Pressuring Global Stocks
The two-year Treasury yield reached about 4.24 percent as markets priced better-than-even odds of a September hike and megacap tech earnings disappointed.
Crypto
Bitcoin Falls Below $65,500 as Oil, Yields and a Regulatory Setback Weigh on Crypto
Betting-market odds of the US market-structure bill passing dropped to 38 percent, while XRP held above $1.16 and a $24 million bridge exploit drained an Arbitrum-based venue.
Tech
Alphabet and Tesla Fall as AI Spending Surges, Reviving the Power-Supply Question
Alphabet raised its 2026 capital budget to as much as $205 billion, and analysts from Russia to South Africa warn that electricity, not chips, is the binding constraint.
World
Modi Faces Farmer Backlash as India Weighs a Trade Deal at the Center of Trump's Tariff Push
Punjab farmers marched on Delhi to demand that agriculture be excluded, while New Delhi holds out for better terms and looks to other trading partners.
World
Asian Governments Race to Shockproof Energy Supply as Hormuz Risk Deepens
The Philippines is building a cross-border grid link to Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia is pursuing a US nuclear pact, as shipowners doubt Hormuz can be made safe.
World
Europe's Heatwave Turns Deadly as Wildfires Spread Across France, Italy and Spain
France recorded at least 5,764 excess deaths during June's heat as wildfires forced thousands to evacuate this week.
Geopolitics
Ukrainian Drones Halt a Major Oil Route as Both Sides Widen Strikes on Energy
Attacks on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's Black Sea terminal disrupted about 80 percent of Kazakhstan's crude exports, while Russia reported new casualties from overnight strikes.
Markets
Indian Stocks Fall a Fourth Day on Oil, but Bank and Consumer Earnings Hold Up
The Sensex dropped more than 300 points and the Nifty slipped below 23,950 as IndusInd posted a 72 percent profit jump and Dr Reddy's warned on margins.
World
Modi Orders Fast-Track Courts for Exam-Paper Leaks as Youth Protests Spread
The prime minister addressed the anger for the first time without directly naming the student movement, as opposition figures said the response did not go far enough.
World
Guyana Ferry Disaster Leaves About 100 Feared Dead as Venezuela Quake Toll Passes 5,300
Officials say 76 of roughly 179 people aboard the ferry survived, while the death toll from June's twin earthquakes in Venezuela reached 5,398.