Testing the Waters
via NYT > World News Iran has threatened to start charging a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Even if it never happens, the idea could unsettle global shipping.
Posts
Trump and Putin Call for a Brief Cease-Fire in Ukraine
via NYT > World News Previous truces have broken down amid competing accusations of violations, and it is not clear that Ukraine will agree to Moscow’s terms.
Treasury Issues More Sanctions on Iranian Oil Exports
via NYT > World News The measures aim to crack down on Iran’s shadow banking system and Chinese purchases of Iranian oil.
How Drug Cartel Gold Ends Up at the U.S. Mint
via NYT > World News The U.S. Mint is legally required to sell only legal, domestic gold. Instead, it is the last link in a chain that launders foreign gold for an insatiable market. Our reporter Justin Scheck traced one such supply chain: from an illegal mine in Colombia all the way to the Mint’s facilities in West Point, N.Y.
In Iran, Cheetah Sightings Offer Rare Spots of Hope Amid War
via NYT > World News Conservationists say they have recorded several new adult and cub Asiatic cheetahs, a critically endangered subspecies found only in Iran.
Iraq Taps Businessman, Ali al-Zaidi, to Form New Government
via NYT > World News After months of tensions and pressure from both the U.S. and Iran, Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman, was named as prime minister-designate.
The Art of the Nuclear Deal
via NYT > World News President Trump ripped up a pact designed to prevent Iran from building a bomb. Getting a better agreement now could prove difficult.