Morning Edition · Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Markets
Chip Stocks Lead a Second Day of Global Equity Losses as Markets Await the Fed's Decision
South Korea's KOSPI index was halted for a second day as SK Hynix's profit missed forecasts, and the Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady, with gold near 4,036 dollars, silver about 58 dollars and bitcoin near 64,000 dollars.
Geopolitics
US and Saudi Forces Strike Iran-Aligned Militias in Iraq After Missiles Hit American Troops in Jordan
An Iraqi paramilitary force said at least 15 of its members were killed across seven provinces as a fragile pause in the United States-Iran war ended, Jordan intercepted Iranian missiles, and Baghdad called an emergency meeting.
Markets
Oil Retreats as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Oman Open Talks on the Strait of Hormuz
Brent recovered to about 89.53 dollars a barrel as US-Saudi strikes and an Iranian missile launch revived supply fears a day after Tuesday's retreat, while India defended its purchases of discounted Russian crude.
Markets
Ukraine Retools Its Long-Range Drone Campaign to Keep Russian Refineries Offline Longer
Kyiv is targeting hard-to-replace refinery components as Russia presses retaliatory strikes on border regions, with a civilian killed in Belgorod.
Markets
Indian Stocks Rise as Asia's Chip Selloff Spares Mumbai
The Sensex gained more than 800 points and the Nifty approached 24,200, supported by a firmer rupee and strong domestic earnings including a 14 percent profit rise at Larsen and Toubro.
Geopolitics
Trump Hosts Netanyahu for a Seventh White House Visit as Protesters Confront the Israeli Leader
The meeting, their first since the two governments launched the war on Iran, drew demonstrators to a Washington hotel where Netanyahu was dining.
Geopolitics
Zelensky Meets Trump in Washington as the War's Diplomacy Shifts
The Ukrainian president also attended the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, in a visit both sides described as productive even as US troop drawdowns from Europe continue.
World
Kumamoto Earthquake Kills at Least 13 as a Newly Reopened Shopping Mall Collapses
Rescuers searched for survivors in southwestern Japan after a quake that sources reported at magnitude 6.8 to 7.1, with the confirmed death toll rising to at least 18.
Geopolitics
Iran to Receive Chinese Shoulder-Launched Missiles Within Weeks, Sources Say
The 60 to 70 million dollar purchase is one of Tehran's largest known efforts to rebuild air defenses since the war began, as a US official separately praised warming military ties with China.
World
Wildfires Displace About 330,000 Across Southwest Europe as France Orders More Evacuations
Fires across France and Spain drove roughly a third of a million people from homes and vacation sites, with a heat wave building across the Mediterranean.
Geopolitics
Israel Heads Toward an October Election With Netanyahu Balancing War and Political Survival
Voters cast ballots on October 27 on issues from military conscription to the 2023 Hamas attack, and in the three months before the vote the prime minister must manage multiple war fronts and his own coalition.
World
Hong Kong Bookshop Closes After National Security Raid as Xi Courts the Chinese Diaspora
A 50-year-old independent bookstore said it will shut following a police raid, the same day China's leader urged Chinese living abroad to aid the country's "national rejuvenation."