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.
333 total articles
Affluent Indians are increasingly treating bottled mineral water as a luxury and wellness product, driving rapid growth in the premium segment. Domestic brands and imports are commanding substantially higher prices than basic bottled water as consumers seek mineral content and perceived health benefits. Industry participants report strong sales gai…
Students who joined the mass pro-democracy demonstrations that followed Myanmar's 2021 military takeover have faced arrests, harsh detention conditions and deaths in custody. Interviews with relatives and associates of jailed students, and data from two prison-monitor groups, document at least 74 political prisoners aged 18-35 who have died while d…
The Grammy Awards in Los Angeles will crown an album of the year winner from a closely contested field that includes Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga. Trevor Noah is returning to host for a sixth time, which he says will be his last Grammys engagement. The ceremony will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. Los Angeles time (010…
Moody's Ratings has revised Israel's sovereign outlook from negative to stable while keeping the Baa1 long-term rating intact. The shift reflects a material easing in geopolitical pressures following the end of specific regional conflicts, and Moody's highlights the country's economic resilience and improved fiscal trajectory even as risks persist.
S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Bosnia and Herzegovina's long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings at 'B+/B' with a stable outlook. The agency projects widening budget deficits beginning in 2026 driven by preelection spending, and anticipates government debt, net of liquid assets, will rise to 25% of GDP by 2029 from an estimated 20% at the end…
The United States and Argentina are reported to be in advanced negotiations over an agreement that would permit the U.S. to deport immigrants from third countries to Argentina. Argentine officials are said to be moving to finalize the arrangement this month. U.S. and Argentine government spokespeople did not provide immediate comment. The proposed …
South Korea’s industry minister said additional discussions with U.S. officials are necessary after two days of talks in Washington. The meetings followed U.S. statements about raising tariffs and included agreement on moving forward with mutually beneficial investment projects and a pledge by Seoul to work with its parliament on a bill concerning …
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government will pursue diplomatic channels and other options to assist Cuba after the United States announced threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island. Sheinbaum cautioned that imposing tariffs on those suppliers risks creating a humanitarian emergency in Cuba and has asked her foreig…
Transfers of Islamic State detainees from Kurdish-held facilities in northeast Syria to Iraq began in late January but have proceeded much more slowly than U.S. officials initially indicated. Iraqi authorities say fewer than 500 detainees have arrived so far amid Baghdad's demand for time to negotiate repatriations, prepare holding facilities and m…
The U.N. reports that Iran-aligned Houthi forces removed telecommunications equipment and vehicles from at least six unstaffed U.N. offices in Sanaa, undermining essential operational capacity. The action, together with continued restrictions on humanitarian flights and prior detentions of U.N. staff, raises the risk of a worsening humanitarian cri…
Rohingya survivors of Myanmar's 2017 military campaign say they expect the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to find that Myanmar committed genocide. The court heard three weeks of testimony and legal argument, and a judgment is due within three to six months. The case, brought by Gambia, has implications beyond Myanmar, including p…
The Minnesota Timberwolves released a statement appealing for unity and compassion after two separate shootings in Minneapolis this month involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens. The incidents have prompted large protests and led to the postponement of an NBA game.
Israel said it will reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday for people traveling between Gaza and Egypt, marking the first reopening of the crossing since it was seized in May 2024. The Israeli civil coordination body COGAT said returns will be limited to Gaza residents who left during the war and will require prior Israeli security c…
Iran’s governance rests on a hybrid system in which a supreme clerical authority sits above elected institutions, supported by a powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps that operates parallel to the regular military. The country’s political framework features interlocking bodies - the Supreme Leader, clerical councils, the IRGC and elected officials - …
Student organizers and immigrant rights groups have organized nationwide walkouts and demonstrations for Friday, demanding the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota after two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens inflamed public anger. The actions follow large marches in Minneapolis last week and come amid shifts in ICE operational gui…
Senior U.S. military and civilian leaders who have been heading Washington's Civil-Military Command Center (CMCC) for Gaza are stepping down from their roles. Successors have not been publicly named, as diplomats and Western partners reassess their engagement with the centre while the U.S. advances the next phase of a plan intended to shape Gaza's …
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked by U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend strikes on Kyiv until February 1 to foster a favourable environment for negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to elaborate. Ukraine has signalled it would reciprocate if Russia refrains from targeting the country's energy infrastru…
Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached a ceasefire and integration agreement that sets out a phased incorporation of Kurdish units into state structures. The deal follows recent government advances in northern and eastern Syria and calls for redeployment of Interior Ministry forces in key cities, the cre…
More than two dozen witnesses who fled to North Darfur and eastern Chad say paramilitary fighters, associated with the Rapid Support Forces, abducted at least 56 children across multiple incidents during Sudan's ongoing civil war. Witnesses described parents being killed before children were seized, fighters referring to children as household slave…
A preliminary internal review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis does not state that Pretti brandished a firearm. The account, compiled from body-worn camera footage and CBP records, describes an attempt by an officer to move Pretti and a woman from the street, the use of pepper spray, a stru…
A U.S. Navy destroyer has docked at Israel's southern port of Eilat, a local news outlet reported, citing the Israeli military. The arrival was described as planned and part of ongoing U.S.-Israeli cooperation. The move comes as Washington signals readiness for both diplomacy and stronger measures in response to Tehran, while additional U.S. assets…
The New START arms control treaty between the United States and Russia will expire on February 5 unless the two capitals reach a deal in the final days. If it lapses, constraints on deployed long-range nuclear weapons would vanish for the first time since the Cold War era, leaving both countries to operate without the verification, transparency and…
New START, the last remaining bilateral U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control treaty, limits deployed strategic warheads and delivery systems but is due to expire on February 5. Verification measures have been suspended and Moscow has halted participation. With the treaty’s single allowable extension already used, leaders have debated whether to agree i…
With domestic unrest in Minneapolis and the prospect of U.S. military action against Iran looming, senior members of the Trump administration attended a gala premiere for a big-budget documentary about first lady Melania Trump. Amazon MGM Studios financed the project to the tune of $75 million, licensing it to Amazon Prime Video and mounting an unu…
Face-to-face trade discussions between the United States and South Korea concluded their first day without a resolution, Yonhap reported. The diplomatic engagement followed public comments from the U.S. president threatening higher tariffs on South Korean goods, prompting Seoul to send senior officials to Washington for continued talks and assuranc…
