Morning Headlines

Russia unleashed one of its largest-ever single attacks on Kyiv overnight July 2, firing more than 70 missiles and roughly 500 drones at the capital, killing at least 25 people and injuring 85 more across 30 strike sites. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called it a deliberate escalation targeting civilians, while Poland scrambled jets and Finland restricted airspace in response.

The June payrolls report came in at only 57,000 new jobs — a stark miss against analyst expectations of around 150,000 — while wage growth tracked below inflation for a third straight month. The weak data is raising fresh fears of a labor-market slowdown and is likely to intensify pressure on the Federal Reserve over interest-rate policy.

American and Iranian negotiators, meeting separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, wrapped up a round of indirect talks declaring 'positive progress' and agreed to establish a formal communication channel to track compliance with a memorandum of understanding. The talks mark a significant step toward a broader deal, though Tehran simultaneously warned tankers in the Strait of Hormuz to use Iran-approved routes or face a 'forceful response.'

The death toll from the June 24 twin earthquakes (M7.2 and M7.5) in Venezuela has climbed past 2,300 with more than 11,000 injured, and rescue workers are still searching for nearly 50,000 unaccounted-for people — in a crisis the UN called one of the worst natural disasters to hit Latin America in decades. A security guard rescued alive after eight days trapped underground offered a rare bright spot in the ongoing recovery effort.

Iran's joint military command issued a formal warning that any oil tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for roughly 20% of global oil supply — must follow Tehran-designated routes or risk a forceful military response. The warning, issued amid the ongoing Iran-US diplomatic track, has unsettled energy markets and raised fears of a new flashpoint in the Persian Gulf.