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.
334 total articles
Several Democratic-controlled states are advancing bills to permit civil lawsuits in state courts against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents accused of violating constitutional rights. The push accelerated after high-profile incidents during immigration enforcement operations, including two killings in Minneapolis. Illinois enacted suc…
Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, a controversial figure blamed by critics for sectarian policies and the conditions that enabled Islamic State’s rise, has been nominated by a Shi’ite political alliance as their candidate for prime minister. U.S. President Donald Trump publicly warned Baghdad that selecting Maliki again would risk losing…
U.S. singer Chris Brown made a short appearance at Southwark Crown Court in London on Jan. 28 for a preliminary hearing ahead of a trial scheduled in October. Brown and a co-defendant have denied charges that they assaulted a music producer with a bottle in 2023. Both were granted bail and will return for a further hearing in April.
Britain’s Office for National Statistics will adopt supermarket scanner data for grocery prices and adjust sampling for overnight hotel stays and video games beginning next month, with the revisions applied to February’s inflation figures. The ONS said the grocery scanner approach would have trimmed the published consumer price inflation rate by 0.…
A Paris court has convicted a former French senator of administering ecstasy to a fellow lawmaker with the intention of committing a sexual assault. The 68-year-old was found guilty of both drugging and possessing the drug; the court imposed a four-year sentence with part suspended and deferred detention while he appeals. The verdict referenced beh…
Turkey’s foreign minister urged the United States to address its disagreements with Iran individually rather than in a single sweeping package, arguing such an approach would be easier for Iranian leaders to accept. Ankara also said Tehran was prepared to enter discussions over its nuclear programme amid ongoing regional strain and domestic unrest …
Iran’s foreign minister said there has been no recent contact with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and that Iran has not requested negotiations. The comments came amid U.S. warnings of another fleet moving toward Iran and reports of additional U.S. military deployments in the Gulf following domestic unrest in Iran.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told delegates at the European Defence Agency's annual conference that Europe has ceased to be the primary centre of gravity for Washington. She described the change as structural rather than temporary, called for NATO to become more European to retain its strength, and warned of a growing risk that g…
Ecuador's Foreign Ministry says a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent attempted to enter its Minneapolis consulate but was stopped by consular staff. The ministry lodged a diplomatic protest with the U.S. Embassy in Quito and said the actions of its staff protected Ecuadorian nationals inside. The episode occurred amid a large-scale immi…
A man rushed the lectern at a Minneapolis town hall where Representative Ilhan Omar was speaking, spraying a foul-smelling liquid at her before being restrained and arrested. Police say officers at the scene observed the suspect use a syringe to discharge an unknown substance; forensic teams processed the site and Omar was not physically harmed.
Young Bangladeshis who propelled the 2024 protests that removed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina into exile had hoped to translate street momentum into a new political force. With the February 12 parliamentary election approaching, those aspirations have dimmed for many: no major reforms have been enacted, a fresh national alternative has strugg…
Moody's Ratings raised Kenya's sovereign rating to B3 from Caa1 and shifted the outlook to stable from positive, pointing to higher foreign exchange reserves, a smaller current account deficit, and successful access to international capital markets in 2025. The agency nonetheless highlighted persistent fiscal weaknesses and limited progress on impr…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told state media that the forthcoming congress of the ruling Workers' Party will set out the next stage of measures to reinforce the country's nuclear war deterrent. State news agency KCNA reported Kim also directed a successful test of a large-caliber multiple-rocket launch system, saying the drill showed improvemen…
President Donald Trump told Fox News that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had "solved a tremendous problem in conjunction with Syria," but did not provide details. The remark came hours after a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. U.S. diplomats continue efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and a political settlement between the Kurd…
President Donald Trump said his administration will "de-escalate a little bit" in Minnesota, where two U.S. citizens have been killed this month in shootings by federal immigration agents. Speaking on Fox News' The Will Cain Show, Trump described the adjustment as "not a pullback, but a change" and said he had spoken with Tom Homan, whom he sent to…
President Donald Trump sharply warned Iraq on Jan. 27 that the United States would stop providing assistance if the country reinstates Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister. Trump posted his warning on Truth Social, citing Maliki's previous time in office as a period of chaos and saying Iraq would have 'zero' chance of success without U.S. help. The co…
A powerful winter storm that developed late last week brought extensive snow, ice and widespread flight disruptions before easing. By Tuesday, officials reported at least 38 deaths across 14 states, tens of thousands of customers without power and emergency systems stretched thin as deep cold persisted. Cities including New York and Nashville mobil…
New federal Census Bureau estimates show U.S. population growth slowed to a 0.5% increase in the year ending June 2025, driven largely by a sharp drop in net international migration. Births and deaths were relatively stable, while every state except Montana and West Virginia reported slower growth. The slowdown coincides with intensified immigratio…
A retired Israeli general advising the military said Israel has cleared land in southern Gaza, in the Rafah area, for a large camp intended to host Palestinians who choose to leave Gaza or remain. The camp site is reportedly in terrain cleared of tunnels attributed to Hamas and would have entry and exit overseen by Israeli personnel, possibly using…
U.N. human rights experts have publicly denounced a decision by the Trump administration to halt and cut funding for legal services for unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. immigration proceedings. The critique follows appeals from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and highlights concerns over legal representation, alleged unlawful depo…
Moody’s Ratings raised Ecuador’s long-term foreign-currency issuer rating to Caa1 from Caa3 and affirmed a stable outlook, citing a marked reduction in credit risks tied to durable policy changes and stronger fiscal management supported by an IMF Extended Fund Facility. Improved fiscal balances, central bank deposit accumulation and tighter soverei…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott instructed state agencies and public universities to suspend filing new H-1B visa petitions as part of an investigation into the federal program. The freeze, citing reports of abuse and a federal review, runs through May 31, 2027, with limited exceptions possible via written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission.…
Philip Glass has pulled the scheduled world premiere of his Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln' from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, citing a clash between the work's themes and the center's current leadership and renamed identity following a takeover by President Donald Trump. The move follows a string of artist and company withdrawals f…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has initiated a state-level probe of the H-1B visa program and instructed state agencies and public universities to suspend submission of new H-1B petitions. The pause will continue until May 31, 2027, with exceptions only through written approval by the Texas Workforce Commission. Agencies must deliver a detailed account…
TikTok has reached an agreement in principle to settle a lawsuit brought by a 19-year-old California plaintiff who says she became addicted to social media platforms and suffered depression and suicidal thoughts as a result. The case, one of three bellwether trials selected from hundreds of related suits, named YouTube, Meta, Snap and TikTok as def…
