Tag - u.s.

 
 

U.S.

The trade balance flipped to a ¥378.6 billion ($2.36 billion) deficit in May on an unadjusted basis, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 17, 2026
Japan’s trade balance swings to deficit as yen inflates imports
The deficit suggests trade may weigh on growth in the second quarter, when economists largely expect a slowdown due to the impact of the war in Iran.
An employee of Fuchu Car, a repair shop in suburban Tokyo, works on a "pearl white" body car at their workshop. The lustrous finish is one of the most popular colors for cars in Japan and increasingly difficult for the repair shop to obtain.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 17, 2026
U.S.-Iran deal may not bring quick relief for auto shops
Auto shops in Tokyo and Detroit car dealerships have been running low on motor oil, paint and other products for months since the Middle East conflict snarled global supply chains.
A satellite image of side-by-side ships at sea, off the coast of Sohar, Oman, on June 9
WORLD
Jun 17, 2026
The U.S. is using an Iranian smuggling tactic to sneak oil out of the Gulf
At least 116 ships have been involved in an oil shuttling technique long used by Iran to skirt sanctions, according to shipping data and satellite imagery.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for the official greeting ahead of a work lunch as part of the Group of Seven summit, in Evian, eastern France, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 17, 2026
Qatar plans to rapidly restart LNG output after Strait of Hormuz reopens
The country is aiming to restore most of its export capacity within two months.
World leaders and some of their spouses pose for a group photo before a cultural performance and concert during the Group of Seven summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 17, 2026
G7 leaders discuss ‘trusted partners’ access to cutting-edge U.S. AI models
Such a scheme would ​allow G7 countries to use the models to develop stronger cybersecurity ​defenses against ‌rivals such as China.
A French Navy officer observes an oil tanker. The U.S., which is short on demining capabilities that it can deploy to the Middle East, needs the help of its allies to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is free of mines and safe for navigation, a European official has said.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
Europeans wary of committing naval power to Hormuz quickly
The U.S. is short on demining capabilities and needs the help of its allies to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is free of mines and safe for navigation, a European official has said.
An Iranian woman holds Iran's flag during a rally in Tehran on April 29.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
Iran deal includes $300 billion fund, much of it already committed, source says
The fund is designed to give both sides an economic incentive to ​conclude a final deal.
(From L) South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, U.S. President Donald Trump, Kenya's President William Ruto, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pose for a family photograph during the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
G7 leaders express optimism for peace after Trump’s ‘very good’ Zelenskyy meeting
After the group meeting with ​Trump, Zelenskyy said that G7 leaders agreed that Russia was ⁠not winning the war.
An Iranian woman celebrates in Tehran’s Valiasr Square on Monday. The U.S.-Iran agreement may bring a temporary end to hostilities but is unlikely to resolve the underlying tensions.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2026
Peace with Iran won’t end conflict in the Gulf
Fundamentally, the deal will mark more of an intermission than a conclusion: It would entrench rather than end the struggle between America and Iran.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends her first Group of Seven summit on Monday in Evian-les-Bains, France.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
Takaichi proposes G7 framework for stockpiling critical minerals
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pitched a plan for coordinating critical mineral stockpiles among the group and like-minded nations, amid China’s tight grip on key supply chains.
Smoke rises from Edwards Air Force Base after the crash of a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber in Edwards, California, on Monday.
WORLD
Jun 16, 2026
Eight die in B-52 bomber crash during test mission in California
The aircraft had been on a “routine test mission” when the crash occurred, according to a statement from Edwards Air Force Base, which added that an investigation was underway.
Traffic moves past the Iranian national flag displayed on a building at Enghelab square in Tehran on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 16, 2026
Polymarket traders clash over $345 million Iran peace market
Bets on a peace deal are in limbo because it was not clear if the announcement was enough to meet the conditions written into Polymarket’s contracts.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a working dinner with Group of Seven leaders during the G7 summit in Evian, France, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
U.S. at odds with allies over how easy it is to reopen Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz will be “completely open” by Friday. But at the G7 summit, it’s clear that his European allies don’t share his optimism.
People wave Iranian and Iraqi flags outside the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad on June 15 following the announcement of a deal to end the war between Iran and the U.S.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 16, 2026
Trump, Iran and the wily ‘art’ of the digital deal
For Tehran, the lack of ceremony allows it to minimize internal political backlash by portraying the deal as a temporary technical arrangement rather than a binding concession.
Shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain significantly down compared to prewar levels, though a growing number of oil tankers and other ships have been transiting the waterway under the cover of darkness in recent weeks.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 16, 2026
Shippers and oil giants seek clarity on U.S.-Iran peace deal
While U.S. President Donald Trump has posted on social media that ships are starting to move through the strait, there are still urgent questions to answer.
A billboard displaying Iran's national flag at Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday. The nation remains a formidable and undefeated force.
WORLD / FOCUS
Jun 16, 2026
Persian Gulf recalibrates as Iran emerges intact from war
The region has emerged from one of its most dangerous crises in decades with Iran politically emboldened and Persian Gulf confidence in U.S. protection deeply shaken.
President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
Netanyahu and Trump on collision course as U.S. and Iran agree to halt war
The goals of both leaders remain unmet, with serious clashes remaining between them over Lebanon.
An Iranian woman waves a national flag next to a billboard depicting slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Valiasr Square in Tehran on June Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
Trump’s Iran accord offers exit from war — and fresh political risks
The move exposes the U.S. president to criticism from within his party, skepticism from allies and questions over whether the deal will hold.
Despite higher oil production and U.S. oversight of Venezuela's oil revenues, the country's currency is weakening, inflation is accelerating and economic conditions are deteriorating.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2026
The mystery of Venezuela’s missing petrodollars
Venezuela’s oil production is rising, yet its currency is depreciating, inflation is accelerating and foreign exchange remains scarce.
A drone view of the oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq's southern offshore oil terminals near Basra on April 24. What started as a supply shock following the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has become a demand story.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2026
Peak oil demand arrives sooner than expected
Amid the disruptions caused by the US-Israeli-Iran war, countries have begun adapting to life with less oil.

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