Morning Headlines

President Trump announced what he called the 'most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,' threatening Iran and any nation trading with it — particularly China — with sweeping sanctions after months of military strikes and a naval blockade failed to force Tehran to negotiate. Oil markets responded immediately, with Brent crude rising to about $94 a barrel.

The U.S. Treasury confirmed the national debt crossed $40 trillion — reaching the milestone months earlier than forecasters expected, partly due to revenue lost from invalidated tariffs. The figure represents roughly $117,000 per American and comes as the country pays more than $1.1 trillion annually just to service its debt, slightly exceeding the defense budget.

In a landmark late-stage trial of 1,137 patients, a personalized mRNA vaccine tailored to each patient's tumor genetics significantly reduced the recurrence and spread of melanoma when combined with Merck's Keytruda. Researchers and oncologists called the results a 'paradigm shift,' with regulatory filings expected within months and potential applications across many cancer types.

Israel's military announced its first-ever criminal probes into alleged misconduct by its own soldiers in Gaza, focusing on the deaths of 5-year-old Hind Rajab, her family, and 15 Palestinian paramedics. The move comes amid sustained international pressure and signals a significant if contested shift in how Israel is handling accountability for its military operations.

A Chinese court sentenced Hui Ka Yan, the founder of collapsed property giant Evergrande, to life imprisonment, closing a chapter on one of the largest corporate collapses in history — more than $300 billion in liabilities. The verdict underscores Beijing's continued legal crackdown on high-profile business figures tied to the country's prolonged real estate crisis.