World

Global events and international developments affecting markets.

Reporting on international affairs, geopolitical developments, and global economic trends. This category connects world events to their potential impact on financial markets, trade flows, and investor risk perception.

Articles

334 total articles

Rafah Crossing Reopens on Foot with Strict Limits as Gaza Remains Under Strain

Rafah Crossing Reopens on Foot with Strict Limits as Gaza Remains Under Strain

Israel has reopened the Rafah crossing with Egypt to pedestrian traffic, permitting some Palestinians to exit Gaza or return after displacement. The reopening is tightly controlled - Israel is requiring security screenings, and both Israel and Egypt are expected to cap the number of travelers. Significant restrictions remain in place, including a c…

UK Treasury Offers Voluntary Exit Payments of Up to £100,000 as Staff Cuts Planned

UK Treasury Offers Voluntary Exit Payments of Up to £100,000 as Staff Cuts Planned

The UK Treasury has put forward voluntary exit packages worth as much as £100,000 ($136,790) to encourage officials to leave amid proposals to cut several hundred jobs. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is targeting a reduction of about 300 roles from current staffing levels of roughly 2,100 by 2030, as part of a government-wide effort to trim adminis…

Laura Fernandez Set to Lead Costa Rica, Vows to Continue Populist Course

Laura Fernandez Set to Lead Costa Rica, Vows to Continue Populist Course

Laura Fernandez has been declared Costa Rica's next president and says she will advance a populist agenda aligned with outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves. Her platform includes constitutional reforms, the use of states of emergency that would limit civil liberties in high-crime areas, and completion of a high-security prison modeled on El Salvador's…

India’s Affluent Embrace Bottled Water as a Luxury and Wellness Marker

India’s Affluent Embrace Bottled Water as a Luxury and Wellness Marker

Premium bottled water is emerging as a conspicuous consumption item for affluent Indians, who are paying multiples of basic bottled-water prices for domestic and imported mineral waters. Driven by worries over contaminated groundwater, limited trust in tap water and a rising wellness trend, the premium segment has expanded rapidly in a market alrea…

Swiss New Year Bar Blaze Death Toll Climbs to 41 After Hospitalized Teenager Dies

Swiss New Year Bar Blaze Death Toll Climbs to 41 After Hospitalized Teenager Dies

Swiss authorities said on Feb. 1 that an 18-year-old who had been hospitalized after the New Year fire at a bar in Crans-Montana has died, raising the confirmed fatalities to 41. Most victims were teenagers; dozens remain injured and some are being treated for severe burns. The tragedy has sparked public demonstrations and strained relations with I…

Pope Calls for Genuine Talks as U.S.-Cuba Tensions Rise

Pope Calls for Genuine Talks as U.S.-Cuba Tensions Rise

Pope Leo expressed deep concern about escalating tensions between the United States and Cuba and urged "sincere and effective dialogue" to prevent violence and suffering. His comments followed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of potential tariffs on imports from nations that supply oil to Cuba, and Cuba's foreign minister declared an "int…

Costa Ricans Head to the Polls as Right-Wing Populists Seek Broader Control

Costa Ricans Head to the Polls as Right-Wing Populists Seek Broader Control

Costa Ricans vote in a general election with Laura Fernandez, a protege of President Rodrigo Chaves, leading polls at just over 40%—a level that would let her win outright and avoid an April 5 runoff. Fernandez is campaigning as a continuation of Chaves’ hardline security and anti-establishment platform and is seeking 40 of the 57 legislative seats…

Pakistan Reports 145 Militants Killed After Coordinated Attacks in Balochistan

Pakistan Reports 145 Militants Killed After Coordinated Attacks in Balochistan

Pakistani authorities say security forces killed 145 militants over a 40-hour period following coordinated attacks across the southwestern province of Balochistan. The province, rich in natural resources and bordering Iran and Afghanistan, saw violence in multiple districts as militants targeted security forces, civilians and infrastructure. The ba…

Tehran Says U.S. Attack Would Escalate Into Regional Conflict

Tehran Says U.S. Attack Would Escalate Into Regional Conflict

Iran’s Supreme Leader warned that a U.S. attack would turn into a wider regional conflict, reiterating Tehran’s stance that it does not seek to initiate hostilities but will respond strongly to any aggression. The statement comes amid a U.S. naval buildup in the Middle East and after months of domestic unrest that saw thousands killed, according to…

Mark Savaya No Longer Serving as U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq, Sources Say

Mark Savaya No Longer Serving as U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq, Sources Say

Mark Savaya, who was named by U.S. President Donald Trump in October as special envoy for Iraq, is no longer in that post, according to sources familiar with the decision. The departure unfolds against rising friction between Washington and Baghdad over efforts to curb Iran-linked influence in Iraqi politics and follows the nomination of former pri…

Top U.S. Envoy Laura Dogu Arrives in Caracas as Bilateral Ties Resume

Top U.S. Envoy Laura Dogu Arrives in Caracas as Bilateral Ties Resume

Laura Dogu, the United States' senior envoy for Venezuela, landed in Caracas as Caracas and Washington take steps to restore relations severed in 2019. Venezuelan officials say the visit is intended to establish a roadmap for bilateral issues and to address outstanding differences through diplomatic channels. The trip comes after a recent agreement…

Danes Rally at U.S. Embassy to Defend Veterans After Trump's Remarks

Danes Rally at U.S. Embassy to Defend Veterans After Trump's Remarks

Several hundred people assembled outside the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen to show solidarity with Danish veterans who said they were insulted by President Donald Trump’s recent comments questioning European allies’ roles in the Afghanistan conflict. The crowd, including former service members wearing NATO medals, laid Danish flags embroidered with na…

Federal Judge Refuses to Block Immigration Agent Deployment in Minneapolis

Federal Judge Refuses to Block Immigration Agent Deployment in Minneapolis

A federal judge in Minnesota declined on Saturday to enjoin a large-scale Department of Homeland Security operation that sent thousands of immigration agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The state had sought court intervention, alleging widespread civil rights violations including shootings and racial profiling. The judge acknowledged serious …

Preliminary Probe Finds Gas Leak Behind Deadly Explosion in Bandar Abbas

Preliminary Probe Finds Gas Leak Behind Deadly Explosion in Bandar Abbas

A blast that struck a building in southern Iran’s Bandar Abbas on Saturday is preliminarily attributed to a gas leak, the local fire chief said. State media reported at least two fatalities and 14 injuries. Officials and state outlets also reported a separate deadly gas explosion in Ahvaz. The incidents occur against a backdrop of heightened tensio…

Airstrikes in Gaza Kill at Least 12, Health Ministry Says

Airstrikes in Gaza Kill at Least 12, Health Ministry Says

Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have left at least 12 people dead, including children. The incidents, reported in Gaza City and Khan Younis, come amid ongoing disputes over violations of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and fresh clashes in Rafah that Israeli forces say involved gunmen emerging from a tunnel.