Machado returns to Venezuela and presses for a presidential vote
Opposition leader María Corina Machado arrived in Venezuela unannounced, according to the WSJ. She is pushing for presidential elections, which complicates President Trump’s plans for a U.S.-backed government. Washington gains stability from the current arrangement, while Machado gains from a vote. The two now want different timetables. Whoever controls the election date will also control access to Venezuela’s oil sector.
Trump says Iran decision time is near
Trump said it is “getting to be decision time” on whether to strike a deal with Tehran or resume attacks, according to Bloomberg. Iranian and Houthi threats against Americans in the region are growing. Separately, Bloomberg reports the UAE has shut more beaches over an oil spill in the Persian Gulf. Gulf states bear the cost of any escalation first, because their coasts and shipping lanes are within range.
France’s debt problem is the global one, only worse
The WSJ calls France the biggest victim of soaring global bond yields. Yields are the interest rate governments pay to borrow. When they rise, a larger share of each tax euro goes to lenders, leaving less for services. France has a weaker budget position than most peers, so investors charge it more for the same loans.
Measles surge exposes a split on vaccines
The FT reports that a measles surge is exposing Republicans’ vulnerability on vaccines. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s scepticism of jabs is not shared by most Americans. Outbreaks turn a policy debate into a local health cost that voters notice.
Non-obvious angle: Canada’s carbon policy is shifting province by province
The FT reports that a Conservative victory in British Columbia could end emissions limits and replace the province’s carbon tax framework. That helps Prime Minister Carney’s energy export ambitions. Canada’s energy policy is increasingly set in provincial elections, not in Ottawa.
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