World politics
fromThe New Yorker
2 hours agoHow the Iran War Is Shifting Power Toward China
China gains leverage by avoiding conflict and observing U.S. military challenges abroad.
Next now expects the conflict in Iran to cost £47m this financial year, a significant increase from the £15m estimate provided in March, indicating the escalating impact of geopolitical instability on global supply chains.
Trump stated, 'Because it's never been sought before. There's been numerous, many, many times. Nobody's ever gotten it before. They consider it totally unconstitutional.' He emphasized that the administration is in touch with Congress but insists that seeking authorization has never been a precedent.
The average price of one gallon of gasoline in the United States has reached $4.30, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), up from less than $3 before the February 28 start of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Kelly told Hegseth the Iran war feels stuck and grilled him on depleted munitions stocks due to the war. He asked for clarification on Hegseth's statement about no quarter and no mercy for enemies.
Rolls-Royce has brushed aside investor jitters over the war in Iran, telling shareholders it remains firmly on course to deliver at least £4 billion of underlying operating profit this year, with engine flying hours running 15 per cent ahead of pre-pandemic levels.
The European Central Bank has kept interest rates on hold, despite inflation rising to an estimated 3.0% in April 2026, driven primarily by energy prices.
The war in Iran, now in its ninth week, is still setting the tone. The war disrupted global oil supply, which pushes energy prices and inflation higher. Inflation doesn't just hit gas and grocery bills - it also spooks the bond market, which mortgage rates tend to follow.
I left both Iraq and Afghanistan with a profound respect for the human cost of war, not just for American service members but for the populations of those countries. War is not clean, and the people who bear the longest burden are rarely the ones who made the decisions.
Currently they're okay but... they're not sure what's happening to them tomorrow. They're under massive stress. They don't have a normal life, they can't go to work and school. [It's] a very horrible situation currently.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the uncertainty surrounding its duration continue to limit near-term visibility and drive consumer caution.
The EY Item Club said it expected the UK economy to flatline in the second and third quarters of this year as a result, leaving the country at risk of recession, defined as two successive quarters of contraction.