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.
3,428 total articles
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…
Residents of Qamishli, the main Kurdish-majority enclave in northeast Syria, have taken to nighttime volunteer patrols as government forces press to integrate remaining Kurdish-run areas with the state. The U.S.-backed ceasefire was extended for 15 days, but locals expressed little confidence in its durability given recent violence elsewhere in the…
U.N. human rights experts have formally protested to Swiss authorities after students who joined pro-Palestinian sit-ins at a Swiss-funded institution were convicted of trespassing. The experts say the actions taken against the demonstrators risk criminalising peaceful expression and assembly. Five students have received suspended fines and legal c…
Dubai has outlined plans to invest over 100 billion dirhams (about $27 billion) to expand the Dubai International Financial Center. The project, named DIFC Zabeel District, will add 17.7 million square feet to the existing financial hub in a six-phase development scheduled for completion in 2040 as the center works to absorb strong demand from inte…
The White House moved to replace a senior Border Patrol official overseeing a high-profile immigration operation in Minneapolis as the administration responded to national anger over the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal agents. The change, which names Tom Homan to lead the effort in place of Gregory Bovino, accompanies a broader reassess…
Federal officials this month directed the removal or editing of dozens of interpretive signs and displays in national parks that address the mistreatment of Native Americans, climate change and environmental protection. Documents show the orders affect at least 17 parks, and follow the recent removal of a slavery exhibit at a Philadelphia historic …
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced its symbolic Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds before midnight, the closest setting yet. The Chicago-based group cited rising tensions among nuclear-armed states, erosion of arms control frameworks, active conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and growing concerns about unregulated military uses of arti…
