Saturday, 7 November 2026

In the Gulf, a suspected missile strike on the tanker Velos Sapphire killed one seafarer on Thursday, and Iran's Guards say two more tankers hit mines in Hormuz. On Ukraine, Trump announced a sweeping deal after meeting Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and US-mediated talks open in Abu Dhabi on 10 November. Meanwhile a governor raised the toll from Monday's Russian bombing of an aid point in Komyshuvakha to 53, and new strikes left Kyiv and six other regions without power. In Yemen, a strike on a market in Taiz killed dozens on Friday; the Houthis blame Saudi aircraft, the government blames a Houthi missile. In eastern Congo, armed men blamed on the ADF killed at least 33 people in Cantine.

Asian stocks plunged on Friday after a historic tech sell-off on Wall Street, driven by fears of tougher AI rules under a Democratic Congress. US employers added 165,000 jobs in October and unemployment fell to 4.1%, which makes a December Fed hike more likely. Brent settled at $98.32, down more than 13 per cent on the week.

Largely overlooked, a Tanzanian court jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu for four years on Friday for incitement. It dismissed the treason charge, and the case is widely condemned as politically motivated. Tomorrow, watch whether President Herzog names Israel's government-formation candidate, as expected on Sunday.