Morning Edition · Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Markets
Trump says Hormuz will reopen "very soon" as Iran and Oman near a transit deal
Brent crude held near $85 a barrel and global equities closed higher, but Tehran denies it is talking directly to Washington and the question of transit fees is unresolved.
Macro
Washington joins Tokyo in buying yen, and the operation exposes what the dollar system now requires
Japanese authorities spent about 5.33 trillion yen on Friday after a reported 8.45 trillion yen the day before, pulling the currency from 163.73 to roughly 155 per dollar.
Crypto
Bitcoin holds near $64,300 and gold near $4,100 while equities set records
US spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds took in more than $170 million on August 4, yet the hard-money complex is not participating in the equity rally.
Tech
Banks prepare to sell $15bn of Anthropic data-centre debt into the bond market
Google takes roughly a 20% equity stake in the Texas campus and agreed to cover lease and power costs if Anthropic defaults, lending its credit rating to the structure.
Macro
China opens a retroactive hunt for offshore income and taxes trusts at 20%
Beijing gave tax residents until October 22 to declare previously unreported overseas income, using bank data shared under international reporting rules since 2018.
Geopolitics
Russian missiles strike Kyiv overnight, with casualty accounts differing sharply
Deutsche Welle reported at least 14 killed across the capital and surrounding region, while Reuters and Al Jazeera reported one death and about two dozen injuries in the city.
Geopolitics
US missile-defence stockpiles fall sharply after the Iran campaign, CNN reports
About 80% of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors and roughly half the Patriot inventory were expended, and one estimate puts the rebuild at three years or more.
Tech
Washington prepares a price floor and tariffs on polysilicon to counter China
China accounts for about 93.5% of global polysilicon supply, and one estimate puts the added cost of the floor at ten cents a watt for imported solar cells.
Geopolitics
US revokes the visa of Brazil's ambassador as tariffs of up to 37.5% take effect
The State Department calls the move reciprocal for Brazil's refusal of visas to two American diplomats and its delay in approving Trump's nominee in Brasilia.
Geopolitics
North Korea threatens new military options after Japan test-fires a Tomahawk missile
Kim Yo Jong says Tokyo has acquired long-range strike capability that places neighbouring countries within range, and accuses Washington of enabling it.
Geopolitics
Indian-flagged vessel sinks off Yemen after a projectile strike, all 14 crew rescued
The ship went down about 13 nautical miles south of Hodeidah, and Yemeni coast guard units brought the survivors to the port of Mokha.
Macro
India sets a local-currency trade agenda for the BRICS summit it hosts in September
New Delhi will bring Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to a September 12-13 meeting focused on payments, supply chains and reform of the International Monetary Fund and UN Security Council.