June 29, 2026 - Daily News Digest

On this Day: in 2007, Apple Inc. launches its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

QOTD: "Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner ​will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we ​continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks, will be the technical talks," [White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt] said.

"As far as we're concerned, we're holding up our ​end of the ceasefire. Violence will be met with violence," Leavitt added.

GIFT LINK: Venezuela Is Desperately Searching for 50,000 Missing After Earthquakes
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/venezuela-earthquake-search-rescue-missing-806b52d1?st=La4CWP&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

The government-built high-rise where Alberto Sánchez’s girlfriend lived toppled into a mass of concrete and steel when twin earthquakes hit this Caribbean coastal city last week. He spent four days digging through rubble for her and her family—and found no one.

“Today I feel like I have no energy left,” Sánchez said on Sunday, his face weary as he took a break, blowing dust off his gloves and examining the holes in his sneakers.

Nearly 50,000 people are still unaccounted for, according to an online platform tracking missing loved ones, after Wednesday’s earthquakes flattened whole neighborhoods in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and a string of cities nearby.

International rescue teams and frantic families are in a race against time, heaving debris aside in a desperate bid to find the last survivors. The hopes of finding them alive were fading fast, since people can survive only so long trapped beneath the rubble without water while inhaling suffocating dust.

The Venezuelan government said 1,450 had died and more than 3,100 were injured, with the heaviest damage reported here in the state of La Guaira on the Caribbean, about an hour’s drive from Caracas. The government says the number will rise, and the U.S. Geological Survey’s modeling estimated the likely death count would reach the thousands.

RUSSIA/UKRAINE/MIL/ENERGY - Putin admits fuel shortages after Ukrainian attacks
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/putin-fuel-shortages-russia-ukraine-attacks-crimea-rcna352192

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time Sunday that Russia is facing fuel shortages following a wave of Ukrainian attacks deep inside the country.

Putin said a task force was working to alleviate the issue, which has grown into a serious crisis as the Kremlin grapples with simmering discontent on a range of issues.

Moscow must now also content with the renewed engagement of the United States, with President Donald Trump offering public praise for Kyiv’s efforts.

“These attacks on our infrastructure facilities do create problems, that is obvious,” Putin said in an interview with a state TV reporter, which marked the first time he publicly addressed the toll Kyiv’s campaign has taken on Russia’s energy sector.

But while Russia was “currently seeing a certain shortage” of fuel, he said, “the problems that have arisen are not of a critical nature.”

The comments came after the Russian leader chaired a meeting with government officials on Sunday, where he discussed the situation with fuel distribution and said a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.

CHINA/JAPAN/TRADE - China Escalates Takaichi Feud by Blacklisting More Japan Firms
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-29/china-blacklists-more-japan-entities-as-takaichi-feud-deepens

China expanded its export-control offensive against Japan, doubling the number of Japanese entities subject to curbs and deepening a feud with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government.

The Ministry of Commerce on Monday added 20 Japanese organizations to its control list, imposing a general ban on Chinese exports that can be used for both commercial and military purposes. In a parallel measure, Beijing placed another 20 entities on its monitor list. While not an outright ban, this subjects them to stricter scrutiny for importing dual-use items from China.

The moves mark the latest escalation in a dispute over comments on Taiwan by Takaichi last year, when she suggested Tokyo could deploy its military if China attempts to seize Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy claimed by Beijing. Takaichi has refused to withdraw her comments and insisted Tokyo’s policy hasn’t changed.

The new restrictions are an expansion of curbs introduced on Feb. 24, which initially took aim at 40 firms. The additional targets of the control list include the state-run National Institute for Defense Studies, military systems research centers as well as affiliates of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

Mitsubishi Electric was down 1.4%, while Mitsubishi Heavy was up 1.9% as of 2:45 p.m. in Tokyo. Shares of Mitsui E&S, which was put on the monitor list, briefly dropped as much as 3%, then pared their decline to trade near levels seen before China’s announcement.

“Export controls had been anticipated to some extent and were already on investors’ radar,” said Hiroshi Namioka, chief strategist at T&D Asset Management in Tokyo.

ROK/TECH - Samsung, SK Hynix to Spend $520 Billion on Chip Plants in South Korea
https://www.wsj.com/tech/samsung-sk-hynix-to-spend-520-billion-on-chip-plants-in-south-korea-7d50aab2?mod=world_feat2_asia_pos1

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to invest more than $500 billion in a new chip-making hub in southwestern South Korea, collaborating with the government’s push to bring the artificial-intelligence boom to less-developed regions.

The initiative, announced by the South Korean government Monday, envisions the creation of four new memory chip-making plants in the southwest, diversifying from the two companies’ current production centers which are all in the Seoul region.

“We must secure absolute competitiveness in advanced technologies including semiconductors and AI, and make sure the fruits of this growth are distributed evenly nationwide and felt by all citizens,” said President Lee Jae Myung in a televised address.

SK and Samsung said they would each invest about 400 trillion won, or roughly $260 billion, in the new hub. Samsung said the southwestern city of Gwangju was a likely site for its new factories. Another 81 trillion won, or roughly $53 billion, will be spent on chip-packaging facilities in the central region.

Global demand for memory chips is surging because they are a critical part of AI systems. Prices of memory chips have risen to record levels amid a worldwide shortage. Samsung and SK Hynix, the world’s two largest memory-chip makers, now each boast a market capitalization exceeding $1 trillion.

The chiefs of Samsung and SK Hynix said their existing investments wouldn’t be enough to meet demand. Four leading Silicon Valley hyperscalers—Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Amazon and Alphabet’s Google—together plan to spend as much as $670 billion this year on AI-related capital expenditures. 

US/IRAN - Mediators set up de-escalation channels ahead of US-Iran talks, source says
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/mediators-set-up-de-escalation-channels-ahead-us-iran-talks-source-says-2026-06-29/

Iranian and U.S. technical teams working on the implementation of an interim peace deal are ​expected to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source told Reuters on Monday, after tit-for-tat weekend strikes threatened to derail the fragile accord.

Mediators have established ‌communications channels to de-escalate any incidents, and technical talks are set to continue, the source, with knowledge of the discussions, added.

A senior Iranian source said there would be a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, but unlike previous technical talks between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland, the focus would be on managing the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalating tensions.

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed in a social media post that there would be a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, but gave no details.

The ​U.S. and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at ending four months of conflict on June 17, under which both sides agreed to cease hostilities and reopen the strait, through ​which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically transits.

MORE: U.S. says Trump envoys Kushner and Witkoff will travel for Iran meeting in Doha
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-says-trump-envoys-kushner-witkoff-will-travel-iran-meeting-doha-2026-06-29/

The United States said a high-level meeting on Iran would be held in Doha on ​Tuesday with President Donald Trump's top envoys Steve Witkoff and ‌Jared Kushner attending while technical talks would also continue on the sidelines.

In a social media post on Monday, Trump said that Iran had requested a meeting and that it ​would take place in the Qatari capital without giving any details.

Moments ​later, Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News that ⁠Witkoff and Kushner would attend the talks.

RSA/SEC - ‘Leave or return in a coffin’: The threat driving migrants out of South Africa
https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/29/africa/south-africa-anti-migrant-deadline-intl

For months, anti-migrant rhetoric had been building across South Africa. Then it reached Kaunga Nyirenda’s doorstep.

In early June, two men gave the Malawian gardener, who lives in a Johannesburg suburb, a chilling ultimatum: leave now or face death.

“They asked me: ‘When are you going to leave the country? We want to fix our country. If you don’t leave now, you’re going to leave in a coffin because we don’t need anyone after 30th of June,’” he said of the ultimatum.

Nyirenda’s experience reflects a broader surge in anti-immigrant sentiment. In recent weeks, protest groups and self-styled vigilantes, who insist their rallies are peaceful, have staged demonstrations that have appeared to spark violent attacks on both documented and undocumented foreign nationals who are being blamed for taking jobs from South Africans, committing crimes and straining public services.

The South African government has rejected the so-called “deadline” made by the groups for foreigners to leave the country, as fears grow of a violent climax at the end of the month.

One of the groups, March & March, called for mass protests on Tuesday if its demands, including the “immediate and massive deportation of all illegal foreigners currently in the country,” are not met.

KSA/ENERGY - Aramco oil company helicopter crashes in Saudi Arabia, killing all 14 on board
https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-helicopter-crash-oil-company-889dcaa219bf47db6daf8f0eb964b336

All 14 people on board were killed in Saudi Arabia when a helicopter belonging to the world’s largest oil company crashed on Sunday morning, according to the Saudi Ministry of Energy.

The accident occurred around 6 a.m. in Ras Tanura, and everyone killed was a Saudi national, the statement said. An investigation was opened into the cause of the crash.

The helicopter belonged to Aramco, which is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia.

Aramco recently has had to scramble as the Iran war disrupted oil supplies and raised prices. The company has said it successfully shifted some oil exports to a pipeline to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted as Iran asserted control over the waterway.

CHINA/AUSTRALIA/VANUATU/MIL - A long-awaited Australia-Vanuatu pact blocks China from building a military base
https://apnews.com/article/australia-vanuatu-china-treaty-military-base-02620b0d8bf6155b4fc09392408fbfdf

Australia and Vanuatu signed a long-awaited bilateral security and economic treaty Monday that prevents China creating a military base on the South Pacific island nation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the so-called Nakamal Agreement with his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, in the Australian capital nine months after the Vanuatuan government rejected an earlier draft. Vanuatu had feared the deal would limit its ability to attract infrastructure investment.

“Our agreement reflects and confirms Australia’s role as Vanuatu’s largest and most comprehensive economic, security and development partner, a responsibility that we take seriously,” Albanese told reporters.

Natap said the pact “reaffirms our shared commitment to continuing and strengthening the comprehensive partnership between our two countries, founded on mutual respect, trust and our common vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific.”

EUROPE/SUMMER - Italy and Balkans hit by heatwave as wildfire fears rise
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/southeastern-europe-feels-effects-heatwave-wildfires-break-out-2026-06-29/

Italy and the Balkans felt the impact ​on Monday of the record-breaking heatwave that has caused hundreds of excess deaths and disrupted daily life across the ‌continent for more than a week, with growing concerns over the spread of wildfires.

There was also a warning that the heat was likely to build again from the start of next week in countries such as France and Germany that bore the brunt over the past few days.

In Italy, 22 cities from Bolzano in the north ​to Palermo on the southern island of Sicily were covered by a red heat warning.

Pilgrims at the Vatican used fans to ​cool themselves and sheltered under umbrellas for shade as Pope Leo delivered his Angelus message from a balcony ⁠to the crowd below on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a holiday in the city of Rome.

In Croatia, the weather service ​issued a red alert on Monday for regions including the capital Zagreb and the tourist destinations of Split and Dubrovnik.

Dozens of firefighters, assisted by four ​aircraft, battled a wildfire burning pine forests on the tourist island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea, some 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Split.

MENA/SHIPPING - Hormuz Oil Transits Continue Though Attacks Make Owners Wary
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-29/hormuz-traffic-drops-off-as-vessel-attacks-raise-fresh-concerns

Ships continued to cross the Strait of Hormuz Monday, though the number broadcasting their passage dropped, as some companies said vessel attacks over the weekend had made them less confident about navigation.

The US said that Iran attacked an oil tanker on Saturday, just a few days after a container ship was struck by a projectile. The incidents happened in a stretch of water near Oman’s coast through which American forces have been coordinating transits. A military liaison with shipping said Sunday that there had been no interruption in US-assisted navigation, even if traffic dipped “slightly.”

The risk tolerance of tanker companies and their crews is critical to returning the global oil market to normal and unlocking millions of barrels of supply. Speaking privately, officials from five owners said they deemed transit as less safe following the two recent attacks — although others said there had been no material change in their analysis.

The US and Iran also agreed to stop attacking each other while peace negotiations are going on, offering hope that vessels could be safe too.

The drop in traffic is in visible flows where vessels have their transponders turned on, showing where they are. But one Saudi Arabian supertanker and three of the nation’s bulk commodity carriers popped up in the Gulf of Oman early on Monday, an indication that they went through Hormuz with their signals off in recent hours, vessel-tracking data show.

IRAN/REUTERS INVESTIGATION - Shattered tiles, trembling domes: An inside look at how the war has damaged Iran’s historic sites
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/iran-crisis-cultural-heritage/

A first set of blast waves set ancient domes and minarets trembling around the most famous square in the ancient city of Isfahan. Another bombing in the city center, two days later, blanketed the floors of a 400-year-old royal complex with shards of debris.

Those Israeli airstrikes, on March 7 and 9, shook the monuments at Naqsh-e Jahan square and the Chehel Sotoun Palace, two of Iran’s most treasured cultural complexes.

Two weeks later, plaster and broken tile still crunched underfoot in some places.

“These buildings were like part of us,” said Rasoul Mosavi, his head still bandaged in gauze from the injury he received in the explosion. He led Reuters journalists through the museum where he has worked as a security guard for 16 years. “This place is very dear to my heart.”