A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced as Washington seeks to revive negotiations with Iran, although Tehran says there has been no recent progress, leaving diplomatic prospects uncertain and geopolitical risk elevated.
Europe’s major powers are preparing for fresh diplomacy on Ukraine: Germany, France and the UK are reportedly drawing up a plan to open talks with Moscow, officials said, reflecting growing momentum for a negotiated pathway amid the grinding conflict.
Markets were dented by tech weakness. Nasdaq futures slipped about 1% after Broadcom tumbled as much as 13% premarket when its outlook for AI‑related semiconductor revenue disappointed investors. Bitcoin extended its slide, marking its longest losing streak since last August.
Policy makers pushed forward on integration and currency defence. Finance ministers from the EU’s six largest economies agreed over the weekend on a framework for a capital markets union — a long‑running priority aimed at boosting the bloc’s competitiveness and cross‑border financing. In Asia, central banks escalated currency defence: Korea and Indonesia vowed intervention measures as the won fell to levels not seen since 2009. The Bank of Japan is weighing a June rate increase and signalled another move could follow in 2026.
Market moves were muted elsewhere. European stocks traded flat, while major Asian indices in China and Japan corrected about 1%. US futures drifted lower amid renewed AI growth concerns. Oil eased roughly 1.5%, with Brent trading near $96 a barrel.
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