Morning Briefing — July 10, 2026
Morning Briefing — July 10, 2026
World News
US carries out second day of strikes on Iran as ceasefire collapses — The US has hit approximately 90 additional military targets in Iran, on top of the more than 80 struck the previous night, in retaliation for Iran's continued attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has fired missiles and drones at Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and a US base, while Democrats accuse the president of restarting a war Congress never authorized. WORLD
Iran renews threats to close Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire ends — Iran has renewed threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz as tensions re-escalate following President Trump's announcement that the US-Iran ceasefire is over. Iran says 14 people were killed in US strikes ahead of the burial of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the 132nd day of the war. CBS News
Congo Ebola outbreak worsens as health workers walk off the job — Frontline health workers battling Congo's Ebola outbreak have walked off the job in protest over unpaid wages, with tires burned outside a treatment center in the hard-hit Ituri region. The death toll is nearing 600 out of more than 1,700 cases — the worst start to any Ebola outbreak on record, with officials warning the virus is spreading faster than they can contain it. WORLD
American missionary pilot shot dead in Indonesia's Papua region — American pilot Nicholas Gosselin was shot dead by separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua region last week, prompting authorities across West Papua to shut down all charter flights. The killing has raised concerns about escalating violence against civilian aviators in the restive region. WORLD
Singer Bonnie Tyler dies at 75 — Welsh pop star Bonnie Tyler, best known for her number one hit 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and 'Holding Out for a Hero,' has died at age 75. She had been hospitalized in Portugal in May for emergency surgery and placed in an induced coma. WORLD
Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race amid assault allegation — Democrat Graham Platner has suspended his populist insurgent Senate campaign in Maine following a sexual assault allegation, which he denied. Maine Democrats now face a tight timeline to select a new candidate to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall. CBC News
Erdoğan gifts NATO leaders .357 magnum revolvers at Ankara summit — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented every NATO leader with a .357 magnum revolver at the close of the summit in Ankara. Prime Minister Mark Carney described the gift as "not what I expected." CBC News
Business
Air Canada names Anko Van der Werff as new president and CEO — Air Canada has appointed Anko Van der Werff as its new president and CEO. The change comes as the airline navigates disruptions including recent flight halts to US destinations amid high fuel costs from the Iran war. CBC News
Rogers cuts 230 jobs, closes radio stations across Canada — Rogers Communications is cutting 230 jobs and closing radio stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Kitchener. The cuts reflect ongoing consolidation and cost pressures in the Canadian broadcasting industry. CBC News
Canada's trade surplus hits four-year high on US export surge — Canada's trade surplus reached a four-year high in May, led by a jump in exports to the United States. The figure comes as trade negotiations between the two countries continue without significant progress after 14 months of talks. CBC News
Chipmakers power Wall Street rebound as oil prices decline — A resurgence in giant chipmakers powered a rebound on Wall Street, with stocks rising amid a decline in oil prices as traders looked past fresh US-Iran hostilities. The rally followed earlier turbulence over concerns about AI infrastructure valuations. Bloomberg
SK Hynix prices $29 billion Nasdaq listing at $149 per share — The South Korean memory chip linchpin set a $149 price for its Nasdaq listing, set to be the biggest foreign debut in US markets. The listing may help the company compete for memory chips used in AI computing. Reuters/Yahoo Finance
Trump refrains from imposing new tariffs on commercial aircraft and parts — The United States has refrained from imposing new tariffs on commercial aircraft and parts after an investigation into the sector, according to a proclamation signed by President Trump. The decision provides relief to global aerospace supply chains. BNN Bloomberg
Beef price-fixing settlement worth nearly $8M open to Canadian buyers — Canadians who bought beef after 2015 could be eligible for a share of nearly $8 million as part of a proposed class action settlement with companies over allegations of price-fixing. The deal still needs court approval. CBC News
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh unveils leadership of new monetary policy task forces — Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has revealed the leadership of the US central bank's new task forces to review monetary policy and communication on interest rate messaging. The move signals significant institutional change under the new chair. Yahoo Finance
Technology
Meta to begin production of custom 'Iris' AI chip in September — Meta plans to start manufacturing its custom AI chip codenamed 'Iris' in September as part of a plan to boost computing power to 14 gigawatts next year. The chip is being designed with Broadcom and manufactured by TSMC, with Meta expecting to spend up to $145 billion on AI infrastructure this year. Reuters/CNBC
Chinese AI models capture 30-46% of US enterprise API token usage — A CNBC investigation confirmed that Chinese AI models now account for between 30% and 46% of enterprise API token usage on US developer platforms, with open-source Chinese models 60-90% cheaper than leading Anthropic and OpenAI models. Z.ai's GLM-5.2 saw daily token volume grow roughly 27x and customer count grow roughly 80x in its first full week on Vercel. CNBC
US lawmakers probe growing use of Chinese AI models by American companies — US lawmakers have opened a probe into the growing use of Chinese AI models by American companies, following reports on the scale of adoption. The inquiry reflects mounting concern about data security, export controls and geopolitical competition in AI. CNBC
China's DeepSeek developing its own AI inference chip — China's DeepSeek is developing its own chip designed for AI inference — the stage where trained models generate responses to queries — rather than for training. The move signals a strategic shift toward controlling compute costs and reducing exposure to US chip restrictions. Reuters/Bloomberg
Alberta becomes first Canadian province to publish AI cybersecurity case study — Anthropic published a case study documenting the Government of Alberta's use of Claude to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities across government systems. It marks the first formal AI cybersecurity case study by a Canadian province. Tech-Reader
Microsoft commits $2.5B and 6,000 employees to new AI implementation unit — Microsoft is investing $2.5 billion to create Microsoft Frontier Co., a new group focused on assisting clients with AI implementations, with 6,000 employees embedded with clients as forward deployed engineers. The move follows a $1 billion FDE initiative announced by Amazon and similar programs launched by Anthropic and OpenAI. CNBC
Meta launches Muse AI imaging tool amid deepfake concerns — Meta has launched a new AI-imaging tool called Muse that could make public Instagram users vulnerable to deepfakes. Critics warn the tool could accelerate abuse without stronger safeguards. CBS News
US autonomous vehicle startup Forterra deploys 100+ ground robots in Ukraine — US military startup Forterra says it has deployed more than 100 Lancer unmanned ground vehicles in Ukraine since 2025, completing over 1,100 missions. The deployment is a notable real-world example of autonomous ground systems being tested in active conflict. Reuters/Tech Startups
Renewable Energy
Elestor to deploy 20MW hydrogen-iron flow battery at Europe's largest onshore wind farm — Dutch long-duration energy storage developer Elestor has partnered with Windpark Zeewolde to deploy a 20MW/200-800MWh hydrogen-iron flow battery storage system at what is described as Europe's largest onshore wind farm. The project marks a significant step for long-duration storage integration with wind. Energy-Storage.News
L-H Battery Company starts lithium-ion cell production at Ohio plant — L-H Battery Company commenced lithium-ion cell production at its Jeffersonville, Ohio plant for automotive and stationary power applications. The launch adds domestic US battery manufacturing capacity amid tariff and supply chain pressures. Energy-Storage.News
Akaysha Energy begins construction of large-scale battery project in Fukuoka — Waratah Super Battery developer Akaysha Energy and partners have begun construction of a large-scale battery project in Fukuoka, Japan. It's the latest sign that Australian storage developers are expanding into Asian markets. Energy-Storage.News
Solar, wind and battery storage projected to provide 99% of new US capacity in 2026 — Solar, wind and battery storage are forecast to provide 99% of new US electricity generating capacity in 2026, according to Energy Information Administration data. Utility-scale renewables and storage combined are projected to add nearly 70,000 MW — roughly equivalent to 70 nuclear plants. Environment America
France's June 2026 heatwave caused more than 2,700 heat-related deaths — A record-breaking heatwave that swept across Europe in June 2026 caused more than 2,700 heat-related deaths in France alone. The findings underscore the growing human toll of climate change on the continent. Carbon Brief
Global renewables overtake coal as world's largest source of electricity in 2025 — Renewable energy overtook coal to become the world's largest source of electricity in 2025, according to thinktank Ember, marking the first time since 1919 that coal's share was lower than renewables. Solar generation grew a record 636 TWh and met 75% of global electricity demand growth in 2025. Carbon Brief
Battery costs fall 45% in 2025 as deployment surges — Battery costs dropped 45% in 2025 following a 20% decline in 2024, while global deployment grew 46% to an estimated 250 GWh. The world installed enough battery capacity to shift 14% of new solar generation from midday to other hours of the day, with front-runners such as Chile and Australia shifting more than 50%. Ember
CleanPeak signs 15-year renewable deal with Western Sydney Airport — Australian renewables company CleanPeak Energy has inked a 15-year agreement to supply Western Sydney International Airport with 100% renewable energy, including 30MW/120MWh of on-site battery storage. The deal is one of the largest airport clean-energy procurement arrangements to date. Energy-Storage.News
Soil Science
UK launches farmer-led Center for Dynamic Soils — The UK's Center for Dynamic Soils has launched as an independent, farmer-led initiative to transform how soil science is conducted and applied across the food and farming sectors. The center aims to bridge cutting-edge soil research with on-farm practice, accelerating the transition to nature-positive agriculture. Agroforestry Partners
80% of UK farmers adopting or planning regenerative practices, Barclays finds — New Barclays research finds that 80% of surveyed UK farmers have adopted or plan to adopt regenerative farming practices. The survey signals broad mainstream acceptance driven by environmental awareness and economic incentives. Agroforestry Partners
California holds first statewide farmland summit at Chico State — California's first statewide farmland summit at Chico State launched a coordinated effort to expand regenerative agriculture and nature-based farming across the state. Farmers, ranchers, researchers and policymakers aligned strategies for scaling regenerative practices. Agroforestry Partners
FAO launches digital tool combining soil, climate and landscape data for farmers — The Food and Agriculture Organization has launched a new digital tool that combines soil, climate and landscape data to improve yields, strengthen resilience and support smarter farming decisions. The tool is aimed particularly at smallholder farmers dealing with climate uncertainty. FAO
New review: biochar as promising strategy to remediate microplastic-contaminated soils — A comprehensive evaluation published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal identifies biochar as a promising, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable strategy for remediating microplastic-contaminated soils. The review notes that its efficacy depends on biochar's physicochemical properties and soil conditions, and that field-scale application remains a knowledge gap. Soil Science Society of America Journal
Vadose Zone Journal spotlights research on fingering flow in soil — The Soil Science Society of America's July President's Pick highlights new Vadose Zone Journal research on fingering flow — a type of preferential flow where infiltrating water gathers into fast, narrow fingers rather than a uniform front. The phenomenon can appear even in uniform soil without macropores, shaped by the physics of infiltration itself. Science Societies (SSSA)
FAO publishes Ukraine emergency and early recovery response plan for 2026-2028 — The FAO has published its Emergency and Early Recovery Response Plan for Ukraine for 2026-2028, outlining priority actions to protect agricultural livelihoods, restore productive capacity and support Ukraine's agrifood sector. In 2025 FAO also completed distribution of 615 modular storage units to small- and medium-scale farmers across seven frontline oblasts. FAO
Frontiers in Soil Science publishes new pollution and biodiversity research — Frontiers in Soil Science published new original research on July 7, 2026 covering soil biology and biodiversity as well as soil pollution and remediation. An accompanying editorial in the pollution and remediation section highlights emerging risks from pollutants entering agricultural soils. Frontiers in Soil Science