Daily Digest — 29 Jun 2026

Oil prices rose 1.2% to $⁠70 a barrel on Monday as markets reopened after US airstrikes on Iran over the weekend, with Tehran putting nuclear talks on hold and President Trump again threatening “annihilation.” The escalation has rattled global equity futures, though Wall Street is coming off a mixed week driven by a rotation out of tech stocks. Gold dipped slightly to $⁠4,081, while bitcoin fell 2% to $⁠58,935 — Samson Mow insists the bottom is in, but analysts remain split. Among Muslim-majority economies, the Iran standoff carries obvious risks; meanwhile, Iran’s World Cup exit has compounded national grief in a country still scarred by protests and war.

In the UK, Andy Burnham is set to outline a devolution plan promising “good growth in every postcode” as he positions himself for a future leadership bid. Separately, employers will receive £3,000 for each long-term unemployed young person they hire under a new scheme targeting 60,000 18-to-24-year-olds. A Guardian analysis reveals that £1 in every £11 spent on UK public contractors goes to private equity firms — nearly £24.4bn last year.

Elsewhere, Ireland stunned world champions India to win the T20 series at home, and Canada beat South Africa in stoppage time to reach the World Cup last 16. In tech, Ford is rehiring veteran engineers after AI fell short of expectations, and a new California law targeting loud streaming ads takes effect July 1. Europe is sweltering under a record heatwave — Germany saw its hottest temperature ever — while rescuers in Venezuela continue pulling survivors from earthquake rubble, including two boys trapped for days. Pope Leo has prayed for Venezuela’s recovery.