Latest News
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The price of oil has risen by more than $2 since Israel's attack on Lebanon
Oil prices rose by more than $2 per barrel on Monday, after Israel launched new strikes against Lebanon on Sunday despite an agreement between the two nations. This shattered hopes of a ceasefire and the restart of crude flow through the Strait of Hormuz. As of 0013 GMT U.S. crude oil futures were up by $2.10 or 2.32% at $92.64 per barrel, while Brent crude rose by $2.33 or 2.5% to $95.42 per barrel. This erased a majority of Friday's losses, when prices fell on the hope of a deescalation of the U.S. - Iran conflict. The latest strikes seemed to be yet another obstacle to a U.S. - Iran peace?deal, and to the reopening of Strait of Hormuz a vital conduit for global 'oil and gas' flows. Iran has set a ceasefire in Lebanon as a precondition for a deal with Washington. Iran launched missiles against Israel in retaliation for the Beirut attacks on Hezbollah, its ally. U.S. president Donald Trump said that he would instruct Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from retaliating against Iran. Israel invaded Lebanon in march after Hezbollah, backed by Iran, fired drones and rockets across the border. Lebanon and Israel announced on June 3, that they had reached a ceasefire after negotiations in Washington. Both countries had agreed in April to cease hostilities, but the violence continued. The wider war is on hold since the U.S., Israel and other countries stopped their attacks on Iran early in April. However, Tehran continues to block shipping through Strait of Hormuz. OPEC+ agreed to its fourth increase in output?in just four months on Sunday, amid the resulting?supply crisis. Analysts said that the decision will have little effect, as most OPEC+ countries cannot meet their production targets because of the Hormuz shutdown or infrastructure attacks in Russia. In a recent note, Jorge Leon, Rystad's head of geopolitical analyses said that the impact of such a move would be "close to zero" in the current market. (Reporting and editing by Edmund Klamann, Christopher Cushing, and Colleen Waye)
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Asia markets plunge as technology rout intensifies
Asian markets fell on Monday, as investors slammed on the brakes to the AI rally. Meanwhile, the oil price and dollar rose due to the Israeli strikes in Beirut. A 8% decline in South Korea's chip heavy?KOSPI triggered a trading halt for 20 minutes?and has it down 17% since its record high last week. Japan's Nikkei dropped 3.5% in the early trading, while U.S. S&P500 and Nasdaq100 futures saw small gains. After a strong jobs report, which raised expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, the Nasdaq fell 4.2%, with most selling concentrated on semiconductor stocks. This put a halt to what had been an AI-led rally. The yields on two-year Treasury bonds rose by more than 11 basis points last Friday. Benchmark 10-year Treasury futures fell about five ticks in the early morning hours of Monday morning, Asia. Bob Savage is the head of BNY's macro-markets strategy. The key question is whether this is a "healthy pause" in the nine week equity rally, or a peak. IPO attention on SpaceX and 'Anthropic' is part of a pause - to either make room for a new market cap, or to rethink the value. INFLATION AND THE ECB Ahead The biggest news of the week is likely to be the SpaceX listing. It will price on Thursday, and trade on Friday. But inflation will also be a major topic, with U.S. Consumer Price Data due on Wednesday, and central bank meetings in Canada, Europe, and elsewhere. Bitcoin dropped by about?16% last week, its biggest weekly decline since the collapse in 2022 of crypto exchange FTX. On Monday, it was just above $63,000. Brokers are worried that the IPO of SpaceX could cause other assets to fall in value. The Middle East situation remains fragile. Brent crude futures were up 2.6% on Monday to $95.45 per barrel after an Israeli strike on Beirut led Iran to fire a volley of missiles on Israeli targets. OPEC+ decided on Sunday to increase its oil production targets for the fourth time in a row. The dollar held firm above 160 yen in the currency market and the Australian dollar rose to $0.7038. The euro was hovering at $1.1518. Reporting by Tom Westbrook, Editing by Aurora Ellis & Shri Navaratnam
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Asia markets prepare for sales after Wall Street tech crash
The Asian markets are expected to fall Monday as Wall Street's nine week winning streak in tech sales ends. Meanwhile, the Israeli strikes on Beirut have sent oil and dollar prices higher. Futures and the U.S. exchange-traded funds' moves on Friday pointed to sharp drops in Japan and South Korea. S&P 500 futures fell 0.2% early in Asia. After a strong jobs report, which raised expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes, the Nasdaq fell 4.2%, with most selling concentrated on semiconductor stocks. This put a halt to what had been an exciting?AI-led rise. The yield on the two-year Treasury rose by more than 11 basis point on Friday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury futures were down about five ticks on Monday morning. Bob Savage is the head of BNY's markets macro strategy. He said that "the AI-drives everything narrative frayed in the last week." The key question is whether this is a healthy break in the nine week equity rally, or a top. The IPO focus of SpaceX and Anthropic 'is part of the pause - to make space for the new market capital or to rethink the value." This week, the biggest news is likely to be the SpaceX listing. It's expected that it will price on Thursday, and then trade on Friday. But, inflation will also be a major topic, with U.S. consumer prices due on Wednesday, and central bank meetings taking place in Canada and Europe. Bitcoin dropped by 16% last week, its biggest weekly decline since the collapse in 2022 of the crypto exchange FTX. It was hovering around $63,000 on Sunday. Brokers are worried that SpaceX's IPO could cause other assets to fall in value. The Mideast situation remains fragile, and Brent crude futures rose 2.6% on Monday to $95.45 per barrel after an Israeli strike on Beirut led?Iran? to fire a salvo? of missiles? at Israeli targets. OPEC+ has agreed to a fourth increase in oil production targets in just a few months. The dollar held firm above 160 yen in the currency market and the Australian dollar rose to $0.7038. The euro was hovering at $1.1518.
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China dominates low-carbon industrial projects, US lags, report says
A report on Monday said that the number of low-carbon projects which have received funding in the past six months has increased by more than twofold, to 19 projects, worth $43 billion. The majority of these are located in China. A report by Mission Possible Partnership stated that 13 projects, from methanol and aluminium to methanol, reached a decision on investment between November and April. Only one project was in the U.S. It added that eight projects were funded in the same period last year. The green industrial investment boomed during the time when Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran, driving up the price of fossil fuels. Faustine Delasalle is the CEO of MPP. She said, "In an increasingly fragmented and unstable environment, fossil fuel dependence has repeatedly shown to be a source of price shocks and supply disruptions as well as economic crises." The MPP, a non-profit organization based in the United States that aims to?boost the growth of low emission industry is supported by both the Bezos Earth Fund as well as the World Economic Forum. Total pipeline of low-carbon industrial project announcements?is 969? in sectors such as chemicals, aviation and metals. China is responsible for 170 out of the announced projects. Other countries in the "sunbelt", such as India and Brazil, have 318. Europe has 211, and the United States has 72. The United States has a large pipeline of projects, but is losing momentum, according to the report. It also noted that over the past 12 months, there were 20 fewer announced projects than in 2012. Reporting by Eric Onstad, Editing by Chris Reese
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Russian drone strikes nuclear fuel storage facility near Chornobyl in Ukraine
Ukrainian officials said that a 'Russian drone' had struck a storage area for spent nuclear fuel near Ukraine’s now-disused Chornobyl plant. They added that the radiation levels remained stable. Separately, the Kyiv General Staff and state atomic agency stated that a container-receiving facility?had partially been destroyed, but no spent fuel had been stored at the time of?attack. The fire that resulted was put out and there were no reported injuries. Russia has not publicly commented on the alleged attack?on the facility which is located?around 15 km (9miles) away from the Chornobyl Plant, the site where the world's biggest nuclear disaster occurred. Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, wrote on X: "This isn't the first time Russian forces have put Ukrainian nuclear facilities in danger." "Russia's nuclear blackmail and threats against nuclear safety are systematic, deliberate, and inacceptable." A Russian drone attacked a containment 'arch that was over the Chornobyl reactor in February 2025. The 'arch had been destroyed by the explosion and meltdown of April 1986. ?Russia denied responsibility. Kyiv has also accused Moscow of attempting to attack the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant located in southeast Ukraine. (Reporting and editing by Tomaszjanowski).
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Embraer observes that airlines are delaying their decisions about plane purchases due to the Iran war
Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said 'on Saturday that some airlines are delaying their decisions on whether or not to exercise their aircraft purchase options due to a lack of certainty over the war in Iran. This uncertainty has led to a rise in 'jet fuel prices. Gomes Neto, the Brazilian planemaker, noted that while there have been no requests to delay deliveries or slowdowns in active sales campaigns he was noticing a growing caution around incremental commitments. He said that some companies who could exercise previously signed options were delaying that to better understand the?evolution of the situation. Embraer has a commercial backlog of nearly five years worth of deliveries. The company is pursuing multiple sales campaigns to sell its E2 family and hopes to close some deals next month at the Farnborough airshow in the United Kingdom. Embraer wants to capitalize on recent agreements, including those with Finnair and Azorra. It believes that the E2 family's fuel-efficiency can increase demand. Gomes Neto stated that several campaigns are currently underway, and the timing of any potential deals is heavily dependent on the customers. "I'm not sure if the commercial aviation sector will have a strong year like last year, but I think it should be good." Embraer is aiming to increase its output. The company has set an internal goal of delivering between 95 and100 commercial aircraft by 2027. This year, the?outlook is between 80 and85 planes. Gomes Neto said that the goal is more dependent on smoother supply chains than it is on geopolitical tensions such as the Iran war being resolved. He said that the bottlenecks in the industry, which have been present since the pandemic, are slowly improving. He added, "It is about getting the?cadence correct." Embraer is also looking to improve margins within its commercial aviation division. Gomes Neto stated that the company has renegotiated older contracts with lower profitability, and is expecting a stronger demand for new agreements to support better pricing.
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Israeli forces kill a Palestinian child and injure his parents on the West Bank
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces killed and injured a 7-month-old Palestinian child in the Tel Rumeida area south of Hebron, West Bank on Friday evening. The ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, and stated that he died on the scene. His parents were moderately injured by gunshots. The grandmother of the baby said that the family stopped the car when they saw Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the distance. She claimed that shots were fired at them which they first thought were warning shots. She said that "one bullet hit my grandson and lodged in his mother's cheek, after traversing his face, crossing his head and striking his mother's cheek." The bullet also grazed her father's finger and the mother is currently hospitalized. Israeli military claimed that during Friday's operational activity, soldiers in the Hebron region perceived a vehicle speeding toward them. One soldier fired a single shot at the vehicle. It said that three Palestinians had been injured and taken to hospital for treatment. The military stated that an initial investigation found that those injured were "uninvolved civilians" and that the incident is 'under review'. Tel Rumeida is an area in Hebron where Israeli settlers are under heavy military protection among Palestinian residents. It has been a hotbed of violence for many years, especially when it comes to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to a report by the European Union in 2024, more than 3 million Palestinians live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, including over 700,000.
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Five killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's Kherson region
The Kherson Governor said that three separate incidents occurred on Friday in which five people were killed by Russians in the southern Kherson region of Ukraine. Oleksandr Prokudin wrote in the 'Telegram' that a strike in a district in the main city of the region, also known as Kherson, had killed three elderly people. Their bodies were discovered in homes damaged by a bomb. Prokudin reported that an attack on a petrol station, north of the city, killed one person and injured seven others. A drone strike in the evening?killed an individual in a village, north of Kherson. Kherson was one of four regions annexed to Russia by Russia six months after the Russian invasion in 2022. Russian forces seized much of the area in the early stages of invasion. However, Ukrainian forces recaptured large stretches of territory including the city of Kherson. Russians are a frequent threat to Ukrainian-held territories. Local officials said that a Ukrainian drone, which is a common target for the Ukrainians, struck a car in the Belgorod region of western Russia, killing its driver. Could not independently verify the reports. Both Russia and Ukraine deny that they deliberately target civilians. (Reporting and editing by Ron Popeski)
Trump's executive orders on immigration, DEI and abortion
Since he took office on January 20, Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has taken a number of executive orders as well as other actions that have a rapid impact on Americans.
The White House reported that the executive orders totaled over 300. They aim to fulfill the Republican campaign promises regarding illegal immigration, federal employment size, energy, environment, gender, diversity, and abortion policies.
Orders
The law has the force of law
But it can be revoked or blocked by future presidents.
Here are some early Trump policy moves.
IMMIGRATION
Trump declared a state of national emergency at the U.S. Mexico border, and issued a ban on asylum to migrants who "engaged in invasion across the southern borders."
He told the Defense Department that it was a top priority to seal the borders and support the construction of border walls, detention spaces and transportation for migrants. He gave the Defense Secretary the authority to send troops along the border. The White House also announced the deployment of 1,500 more troops.
Trump has ordered the suspension for refugee admissions to the U.S. This includes the nearly 1,660 Afghans who were cleared to settle in America.
He reinstated his "Remain in Mexico policy", which forces non-Mexicans seeking asylum to wait in Mexico until their U.S. cases are resolved.
He ordered the Attorney General to pursue capital punishment for immigrants who are not legally recognized and commit crimes like murder, which could be punishable by death.
He signed an order ending birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S., if either their mother or father are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. According to the U.S. Constitution, people born in America are entitled to citizenship. Democratic state attorneys and advocates filed lawsuits on the issue, and Ronald Reagan's Republican president appointed a judge to block the order. He called it "blatantly illegal."
Trump has also started a process of designating criminal cartels to be foreign terrorist groups and to use a 1798 law called the Alien Enemies Act to target foreign gangs.
ABORTION
Restored U.S. Participation
In two international antiabortion agreements, including one which cuts off U.S. funds to foreign organizations that provide or promote abortions. He reinstated Mexico City Policy which his opponents refer to as the "global gag rule" for the way it has silenced abortion advocates. It was established by Reagan in 1984 and has been repealed or rescinded each Democratic President since then.
TRANSGENDER TROOPS AND COVID IN THE MILITARY
Trump signed executive orders that were aimed at
The military
The reintroduction of thousands of troops expelled for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic; the removal diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements; and the targeting of transgender members.
In one order, it was stated that expressing a transgender identity would violate military standards. However, the order did not specify whether or not current transgender military personnel would be allowed stay in service.
Trump has rescinded a former Democratic president Joe Biden's order that allowed transgender individuals to serve in military.
GRANTS and LOANS
The White House of Donald Trump ordered the a
All federal grants and loans will be halted
This could affect education and healthcare, housing assistance and disaster relief, as well as a number of other initiatives that rely on billions of dollars from the federal government.
The money will be held while the Trump Administration reviews the programs and ensures they align with the Republican President's priorities.
Slashing the size of the federal workforce
Trump has ordered federal employees to return to work full-time in the office and that agencies take action to stop remote working arrangements.
He announced a hiring freeze for federal jobs, with the exception of military, immigration enforcement and national security, as well as public safety.
He reinstated the Schedule F executive orders he issued during his first term. These would have stripped tens or thousands of federal workers of their employment protections, and made them more easily fired.
GOVERNMENT DIVERSITY AND GENDER ISSUES
Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination government diversity programs. This includes all federal jobs and offices related to diversity and equity.
All federal DEI offices were facing closure, so the Trump administration paid all staff in their offices a leave of absence.
The order instructs the administration review which federal contractors provided DEI materials to government agencies, and revokes Equal Employment Opportunity order that was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.
He signed an official order that "recognizes two sexes - male and female" in documents. The order said that "these sexes cannot be changed and are based on fundamental and undisputed reality."
Trump ordered agencies to stop using pronouns based on gender identity or preferred pronouns.
STEPS TOWARDS A TRAVEL BANN?
Trump signed an executive order setting a 60-day period for State, Justice and Homeland Security officials to identify countries with screening and vetting processes "so inadequate as to warrant partial or complete suspension of admissions to nationals from these countries."
U.S. civil right groups
You can also read about the warnings below.
The order lays down the foundation for a reinstatement of the ban on travel from countries with a majority of Muslims or Arabs.
EXPANDING Energy Production
Trump declared an energy emergency in order to increase energy production, eliminate regulations and to end rules that were aimed at accelerating the transition to electric cars.
He signed an order promoting oil and natural gas development in Alaska. This reversed Biden's attempts to protect Arctic lands, U.S. coast waters, and offshore wind lease sales. It also lifted a ban on the export of liquid natural gas.
PARIS CLIMATE PACT
Trump ordered that the U.S. withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, putting the U.S. outside of the global pact intended to push nations to combat climate change. Trump had taken the same step in his first term. Biden then reversed that decision.
Withdrawal from the World Health Organization
Trump has ordered his administration begin the withdrawal process from the World Health Organization. He said the global health agency mishandled COVID-19 and other international health emergencies.
JAN. 6 PARDONS
Trump pardoned around 1,500 of his followers who attacked the U.S. Capitol in 2004. The vast majority of those convicted were involved in the riot. The pardoned individuals included the leaders of far-right groups Oath Keepers, and Proud Boys.
TIKTOK AND DOG
Trump signed an executive directive to delay for 75 days the implementation of a ban on popular short-video application TikTok, which was scheduled to close down on January 19.
The Department of Government Efficiency was created by him to make drastic cuts in the U.S. Government. This group immediately drew lawsuits against its operation. (Reporting and editing by Tim Reid in Washington and Jeff Mason; Deepa Babington, Ross Colvin and Colleen Jenkins)
(source: Reuters)