Morning Edition · Saturday, August 15, 2026
Markets
Trump Says He Will Declare the Strait of Hormuz American Territory as Iran Keeps the Blockade in Force
Brent crude traded near $88 a barrel after two Abu Dhabi National Oil Company tankers were attacked in the waterway, and the average United States pump price stood at $4.08 a gallon.
Markets
Gold Holds Near $4,365 an Ounce and Silver Near $64 as War Premium Meets a Cautious Federal Reserve
Both metals eased on Friday after a rise driven by softer inflation data, with silver still up more than 2 per cent on the week.
Macro
The Yen Slides Back Toward 160 as Traders Test Tokyo's Willingness to Intervene Again
Japan's currency has given back about half the gains from the joint United States and Japanese intervention of late July, ending the week down roughly 1 per cent.
Tech
OpenAI Loses a Third Senior Executive in a Month as Sam Altman Pushes Toward a Listing
Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser confirmed her exit on Friday, following the departures of the chief operating officer and the company's second-ranking executive.
Crypto
Bitcoin Slips Below $63,000 While Gold Holds Near Records, Separating the Two Hard-Money Trades
The largest cryptocurrency fell about 0.9 per cent on Friday as regulatory work on tokenisation stalled, even as a war-driven energy shock lifted commodity prices.
Geopolitics
Iran Says It Has Made No Decision on Returning to Talks With Washington
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Oman is working on possible channels, and tied any reopening of Hormuz shipping to American concessions.
Geopolitics
Reliance and Rolls-Royce Agree to Develop an Indian Combat Jet Engine, Bypassing American Suppliers
The partnership targets propulsion for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, whose prototype is expected in 2028, and proposes a dedicated gas turbine complex in India.
World
Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Kills at Least Five in Eastern Indonesia and Triggers a Small Tsunami
The quake struck off Nagekeo district in East Nusa Tenggara, collapsed buildings across Flores and was felt strongly on Lombok, several hundred kilometres away.
Geopolitics
Japan's Prime Minister Omits Remorse From Her First War Memorial Address as South Korea Offers Cooperation
Sanae Takaichi stayed away from the Yasukuni shrine but sent a ritual offering, while her defence minister and roughly 90 cross-party lawmakers visited it.
Tech
China Prepares to Lift the Exit Ban on the Founders of Manus After Blocking Meta's Purchase
Chief executive Xiao Hong plans to return to Singapore as the artificial intelligence company nears a resolution of its separation from Meta.
Geopolitics
Russia Reports Downing 14 Drones Over Voronezh Region as an Attack Cuts Power in the South
About 1,000 households in the Rostov region lost electricity, according to Governor Yury Slyusar, with no casualties reported.
World
Venezuela's Interim Government Says It Freed 131 Political Prisoners as Rights Groups Verify Far Fewer
Vente Venezuela confirmed 43 releases and Foro Penal at least 40, against the 391 political detainees the rights group counted on 10 August.