Morning Edition · Thursday, October 8, 2026
Markets
Brent settles at $104 as Iran steps up tanker attacks, while Trump rules out Iran strikes before the midterms
President Donald Trump says the US will not attack Iran before the November 3 election, but attacks on tankers and a Gulf of Mexico hurricane pushed oil up 4% on Thursday, and long-term Treasury yields remain near their highest levels since 2002.
Macro
Fed minutes show unanimous backing for September rate hike and a majority leaning toward another by year end
Gold rose 0.4% in Asian trading after touching a two-month low, and State Bank of India economists urged the Reserve Bank of India to raise rates by half a percentage point.
Geopolitics
Hormuz shipping falls to lowest since July as a Kpler analyst suspects Gulf producers are paying Iran for passage
Middle East crude exports nearly recovered to prewar volumes in late September, but a growing share now leaves from Red Sea and Gulf of Oman ports outside the strait.
Crypto
Bitcoin falls below $83,000 as oil and Treasury yields rise on the Iran strike report
Gold edged higher in the same Asian session, while a Charles Schwab survey found US crypto holders still plan to add to their positions over the next year.
Macro
Flávio Bolsonaro's team studies spending curbs worth up to 250 billion reais as investors bet on a runoff win
Brazil's main stock index jumped 7.70% in a single day, and the real strengthened 4.6%, after he led the first round with 47.03% of the vote.
Tech
Samsung's preliminary third-quarter operating profit tops 107 trillion won as AI demand lifts memory prices
In Japan, the same data-center spending has started a bidding war for TDK's hard-drive head unit, while a Reuters column argues that AI borrowing now competes with government bonds for investors.
Macro
More Russians now pick cash over bank deposits for savings as cross-border transfers draw tougher penalties
A Latvian court sentenced an activist to six years in prison for sending 43 euros to Russia, and the speaker of Russia's lower house called moving money abroad an aggravating factor in crime.
Geopolitics
Ukrainian drones reportedly hit Yandex's largest Russian data center, cutting power to a cloud zone
Yandex confirmed Ukrainian drones caused a fire that shut down its largest data center entirely, and residents of Salavat in Bashkortostan reported explosions and a fire hours later.
World
EU trade chief opens Beijing talks as Germany blocks a COSCO purchase
Germany and France asked Brussels for stronger tools against Chinese imports days before a one-year Chinese pause on extra rare-earth export restrictions is due to expire.
Geopolitics
Trump asked Xi to lift Chinese export curbs on Japan, and Xi said the dispute should stay separate from US ties
Trump told Xi the Chinese restrictions, which include rare earths, threaten US manufacturers that rely on Japanese suppliers, a newspaper report cited by TASS said.
Geopolitics
Pakistan's military spokesman says its troops have been in Saudi Arabia for decades across multiple domains
The statement follows reports of a deployment of about 8,000 Pakistani troops with Chinese-made air defenses, at the same time the United States is ending its military mission in Iraq.
Macro
Trump promises $5,000 to every adult if Republicans hold Congress, a pledge that would cost more than $1 trillion
The offer requires congressional approval and would add to a federal deficit of nearly $1.8 trillion, while protesters interrupted Trump's Texas rally for Senate candidate Ken Paxton.