2026, day 242 Good morning from Asia. ‘An anti-Western axis is stretching America thin, from Ukraine to Iran - analysis’ (JPost) - “Is a multifront crisis pushing Washington toward a deal with Iran?”; ‘Putin, Xi to meet on sidelines of SCO summit Monday, Kremlin says’ (Nikkei Asia) - “Russian leader also lines up talks with India's Modi, Iran's Pezeshkian at event in Kyrgyzstan”; ‘Kuwait just hired Pakistan’s army to defend it’ (Ynet) - “ ‘Turkey summons Ukraine ambassador over Black Sea attacks’ (AFP); ‘IDF dusts off decades-old posts along Jordan border to battle threats 'from beyond'’ (ToI); ‘CIA director floated Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit during Moscow visit, sources say’ (Axios); ‘Russia's new missiles make Ukraine's ports a no-go zone’ (Telegraph); ‘Estonia's spy chief: 'Russia is in a very bad place - revolution could come overnight'’ (Telegraph); ‘Germany plans to blame Russia for Leipzig attack as tensions with Putin escalate’ (Politico); ‘Russia is poised to attack Britain and has identified drone factory and missile company as 'legal targets', ex-Kremlin chief warns - as he describes the UK as 'evil number one'’ (Daily Mail); ‘Fleeing Russians fear Putin is quietly preparing for another mobilization’ (Politico); ‘Relocation of US arms from Europe may expose vulnerabilities in US global military posture - report’ (JPost); ‘Ireland will be united, says Gordon Brown’ (Guardian); ‘Inside Trump’s Plan to Give the Pentagon a Stake in Venezuela’s Oil Riches’ (WSJ); ‘Can Canada afford the price of being ‘masters of our own destiny’?’ (Globe & Mail); ‘US-Ecuador operation destroys alleged drug-smuggling boat’ (AFP); ‘Rival factions stand off in Niger capital after mutineers attack airport, presidency’ (Reuters); ‘What Japan’s coming fighter jet deployment to India means for China’ (SCMP); In geoeconomics, ‘The Strongest El Niño in a Generation Is Wreaking Havoc on Global Economy’ (WSJ; ‘Is the Irtysh River the choke-free Arctic shipping gateway that China needs?’ (SCMP); ‘Russia extends ban on diesel exports until September 30’ (Reuters); ‘Oil deal with US is denounced by both sides of Venezuelan politics’ (FT); ‘US Energy Dominance Descends Into Decadence’ (BBG) ‘Airbus seeks US space unit sale as it shifts to European-built satellites’ (FT); ‘EU Backs Strategic Companies’ (Eureflect); ‘How Big Tech Blinded Itself to the Grassroots AI Revolt’ (WSJ); ‘China is secretly fueling America's data center rage’ (Axios); ‘China Customs tightens origin documentation for graphite transit shipments’ (East Asia Brief); ‘Trump Weighs Steep Tariffs on Semiconductors’ (Business Korea); ‘Korea tightens export licensing rules on robotics actuator technology’ (East Asia Brief); ‘UK urged to ban imports of Brazilian meat over health concerns’ (Guardian); In politics, ‘Britain's abandonment of' the white working class is a recipe for anarchy’ (Telegraph); ‘Zero-sum thinking will fuel resentment and scarcity’ (FT) - “The assumption that one group must lose for another to gain has become worryingly widespread”; ‘The little coastal corner of Perth sending shivers through Australian politics’ (SMH) - “One Nation is no longer just a headache for the conservative side of Australian politics – it poses a clear and present danger to Labor too”; In markets, ‘Risk of a new age of financial repression is rising’ (FT); ‘Warsh puts Fed on collision course with Trump ahead of midterms’ (FT); ‘Zero-interest convertible bonds set for record year’ (FT); ‘Trump Backlash Adds New Risks to the Stocks the Government Owns’ (BBG); ‘Bessent says disorderly yen moves can destabilize global markets’ (Reuters); ‘BIS chief says stablecoins are not a credible payment method at scale’ (Reuters); ‘‘Treasury Bars Some Reporters From G20 Finance Meeting’ (NYT)