We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
The Economist: From Gaza to Ukraine, wars and crises are piling up
These are not happy times.
An Israel-Hamas war in Gaza threatens to spread across the Middle East, with America and Iran facing off in the background.
The Ukraine war, Europe’s largest since 1945, shows no sign of ending.
And Chinese jets and warships now menace Taiwan in growing numbers and with increasing frequency, with looming elections on the island likely to bring more tumult.
Civil conflict in Mali, Myanmar and Sudan has worsened in recent weeks, too.
Adversaries such as China and Russia are more assertive, and working more and more together. So too are non-aligned powers, including India and Türkiye, which have growing clout to shape distant events and believe that a new and more favourable order is emerging.
And the possibility of a war directly between major powers hangs over the world, forcing countries to keep one eye on the future even as they fight fires today.
🌆 Market News Digest
[July 3, 2026 EST]
🔥 Top Stories
• Middle East risk flares — IDF hits Hezbollah sites in south Lebanon; Houthis threaten Saudi assets; France deploys naval/mine-countermeasure assets near Hormuz.
• U.S. oil market scrutiny — DOJ/FTC say they’re monitoring crude for price-fixing/collusion as Brent settles at $72.12/bbl.
• Trump pardons saga — Trump signs pardons for six and faces fresh scrutiny after NBC reported undisclosed stock purchases before tariff pause.
⛽ Oil & Energy
• Gulf crude exports topped 10M bpd in June but remain ~40% below pre-conflict levels; Fitch flags ongoing Iran/Mideast risk to corporates and oil forecasts.
• CMA CGM warns Hormuz transit charges would be “devastating”; Airbus says defense cooperation remains pressured.
📊 Markets & Macro
• Germany’s 2027 draft budget lifts borrowing to €203.7B and spending to €555.4B; euro equities firm with DAX +0.85%.
• ECB/BoE message: inflation still the focus, but Bailey says UK ...
