Cuba suffered a nationwide blackout on Monday as it faces an ongoing energy crisis, worsened by an effective US blockade on fuel shipments. Cuba’s energy ministry said the national electrical grid had suffered a total collapse. The country’s grid operator said it is investigating the cause. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said officials were working to restore energy and that they’ve already activated emergency “microsystems” that power vital services.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/06/americas/cuba-blackout-electrical-grid-intl-latam
The massive decline in oil prices over the past few weeks has gifted the Trump administration with some unexpected leverage in its ongoing negotiations with Iran. Despite an obliterated navy and air force, Iran wielded significant economic power in the spring. It effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic by threatening vessels with makeshift drones and explosive-packed speedboats. That persistent threat kept oil prices high through March, April and May, sending gas prices surging and global oil inventories to dangerously low levels. But now, the Strait of Hormuz is gradually reopening. Oil traders expect the historic oil supply shortage to quickly turn into a major glut as the world is flooded with crude. That’s why Brent crude hovers right around $70 a barrel, trading below its price from two weeks before the war – despite an attack on a tanker Monday.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/07/business/iran-trump-oil-price-supply
A tanker was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile while sailing near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The Qatari-flagged Al-Rakiyat vessel was “passing near” the key waterway when it was struck, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. Citing an unidentified US official, The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had fired at two commercial ships near the Strait. Axios, also citing unidentified US officials, reported Iran had fired missiles at commercial ships transiting through the strait.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/07/middleeast/hormuz-tanker-iran-attack-intl-hnk
Nigel Farage, leader of the populist right-wing Reform UK party, has resigned from parliament and will stand for his seat again in a special election, amid mounting controversy over financial donations. Farage announced the decision to resign as a member of parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, his constituency in Essex, on his YouTube channel Tuesday. The surprise move appears to be an attempt to tackle recent negative press reports regarding the source of his personal wealth, which is also the subject of an investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/07/uk/nigel-farage-reform-intl