Middle East: US-Iran Deal & the Strait of Hormuz
Trump says Iran ‘will never have a nuclear weapon’ and that deal is ‘going to second stage’ President Trump signaled progress on the US-Iran agreement, saying the deal is moving to a second stage. (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jun/16/iran-us-deal-trump-vance-strait-hormuz-israel-lebanon-middle-east-latest-news-updates
Trump warns ‘all hell will rain down’ if Iran tries to get a nuclear weapon The US president also made unusually critical comments about Israel’s military offensive in Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/16/trump-warns-all-hell-will-rain-down-if-iran-tries-to-get-a-nuclear-weapon
France, Britain and other countries say they’ll send ships to the Strait of Hormuz A coalition led by Britain and France has been preparing to send minesweepers and other ships to secure the strait once the fighting ends. (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/world/europe/europe-strait-of-hormuz-iran-security.html
Shipping companies remain cautious about the Strait of Hormuz Maritime operators stay wary even as a ceasefire takes shape. (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06/16/world/iran-war-trump-us-deal/shipping-companies-remain-cautious-about-the-strait-of-hormuz
No toll but ‘maritime service fees’ for Strait of Hormuz? Questions emerge over how passage through the strait will be charged going forward. (France 24) https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260616-no-toll-but-maritime-service-fees-for-strait-of-hormuz
Will a US-Iran deal unlock $300bn in investment fund for Tehran? The Trump administration has been adamant the investment fund is not a payout for Iranian enriched uranium. (Al Jazeera) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/16/will-a-us-iran-deal-unlock-300bn-in-investment-fund-for-tehran
Qatar’s Emir hails Iran deal and touts US investments in Trump meeting Qatar’s leader praised the agreement during talks with Trump. (Al Jazeera) https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/16/qatars-emir-hails-iran-deal-and-touts-us-investments-in-trump-meeting
How Israel could complicate Iran peace negotiations Israel has been sidelined in the agreement between the US and Iran, which could spoil peace negotiations. (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/g-s1-128341/up-first-newsletter-iran-israel-g7-primaries-luigi-mangione
Iran dealt Israel a crushing defeat and vindicated America’s anti-war majority (opinion) A Middle East Eye opinion piece on the political fallout of the conflict. (Middle East Eye) https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/iran-dealt-israel-crushing-defeat-and-vindicated-americas-antiwar-majority
Ukraine, Russia & the G7 Summit
Ukraine targets Moscow oil facility with drones as G7 leaders meet A day earlier, Russia bombarded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones, killing at least 11 people and damaging a cathedral. (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/world/europe/ukraine-moscow-oil-refinery-attack-g7-summit.html
Trump urges Russia to ‘make a deal’ with Ukraine after meeting Zelensky at G7 summit Trump said Russia should make a peace deal with Ukraine after a “very good” meeting with President Zelensky at the G7 in France. (SCMP) https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3357323/trump-urges-russia-make-deal-ukraine-after-meeting-zelensky-g7-summit
G7 allies scramble to put Ukraine back atop Trump’s agenda Allies push to keep Ukraine in focus at the summit. (France 24) https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260616-g7-allies-scramble-to-put-ukraine-back-atop-trump-s-agenda
Who are the G7 countries and what is the G7 summit? A primer on the bloc of wealthy democracies meeting in France. (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/world/europe/g7-leaders-summit-what-who.html
Russian artist and critic of Putin shot dead in eastern Poland Robert Kuzovkov, a Russian artist and Putin critic, was killed in Poland. (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/16/russia-artist-putin-critic-robert-kuzovkov-shot-dead-poland
Europe & UK
European Parliament approves US trade deal to lower tariffs The bloc approved cutting tariffs on many US imports to comply with a deal signed last year, ahead of a July 4 deadline. (DW) https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-approves-us-trade-deal-to-lower-tariffs/a-77577033
Trump threatens 100% tariff on French wines unless digital tax dropped The US president escalated trade pressure on France. (France 24) https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260616-trump-threatens-100-tariff-on-french-wines-unless-digital-tax-dropped
Thames Water nationalisation moves closer as government ‘objects to rescue deal’ The UK government’s objection to a rescue deal pushes the utility nearer to nationalisation. (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/16/thames-water-nationalisation-rescue-deal-ofwat
Starmer should set out timetable for his departure if Burnham wins byelection, Streeting says UK political pressure mounts around a Labour byelection. (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jun/16/andy-burnham-makerfield-labour-reform-keir-starmer-uk-politics-latest-news-updates
United States
Experts alarmed as Trump launches broad-front attack on US voting rights Analysts raise concerns over new actions targeting elections. (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/trump-voting-rights-elections
Oklahoma begins choosing a new US senator and governor in crowded primary Voters head to the polls in a packed primary race. (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jun/16/donald-trump-oklahoma-senator-governor-primary-g7-iran-us-politics-latest-news-updates
Americas & Africa
Cuba tourism collapses as US pressure campaign bites The number of foreign visitors is down by 58% compared to last year amid sanctions and an effective oil blockade. (BBC) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg8zrm20jjo
South Africa marks 50 years since Soweto uprising South Africa marks the 50th anniversary of the uprising, when over 200 young people protesting the apartheid education system were shot and killed by police. (France 24) https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260616-south-africa-marks-50-years-since-soweto-uprising
Markets & Finance
Oil prices hit three-month low but tanker bosses remain cautious on Hormuz transit Global oil prices tumbled to a three-month low as the Iran peace agreement dominated the G7 meeting in France. (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/16/us-iran-peace-agreement-oil-prices-tankers-strait-of-hormuz-transit.html
The Dow hit a record, SpaceX keeps soaring, and the Fed looms Markets are pausing after the S&P 500’s best 3-day stretch in over a year, while SpaceX stock eyes a pass of Amazon by market cap. (Quartz) https://qz.com/dow-record-spacex-rally-fed-decision-061626
US stock futures flat after Dow record close on US-Iran deal; SpaceX rallies again The Dow climbed to new intraday and closing records on Monday on a potential US-Iran deal. (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/15/stock-market-today-live-updates.html
US premarket movers for June 16, 2026 US equity-index futures are higher after a three-day rally; S&P 500 contracts up 0.1% in early New York trading. (Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-16/us-stock-futures-today-domo-edgewise-huntsman-robinhood-spacex
Goldman traders see room for rally to broaden beyond AI winners Easing Middle East tensions gives investors a reason to look beyond the AI trade that has dominated the year’s market narrative. (Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-16/goldman-traders-see-room-for-rally-to-broaden-beyond-ai-winners
Iran war has irrevocably changed the Middle Eastern oil trade Buyers of Persian Gulf crude will want to be better prepared to cope with any future disruptions. (Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-06-16/iran-war-has-irrevocably-changed-the-middle-eastern-oil-trade
Robinhood is cutting 10% of its jobs to keep a ‘high performance culture’ Robinhood’s stock, already on a four-session winning streak, looked to continue climbing despite the layoffs. (MarketWatch) https://www.marketwatch.com/story/robinhood-is-cutting-10-of-its-jobs-to-keep-a-high-performance-culture-03a917c2
A veteran investor is kicking Tesla out of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ T. Rowe Price fund manager David Giroux says Big Tech isn’t in a bubble but sees value in healthcare and utilities. (MarketWatch) https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a-veteran-investor-is-kicking-tesla-out-of-the-magnificent-seven-replacing-it-with-this-tech-giant-a2828cec
BlackRock’s new bitcoin income fund offers cash flow alongside BTC exposure The fund pairs cash flow with bitcoin exposure. (CoinDesk) https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/06/16/blackrock-s-new-bitcoin-income-fund-offers-cash-flow-alongside-btc-exposure