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.
4,474 total articles
Fitch Ratings kept Gabon’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency IDR at 'CCC-' and its Long-Term Local-Currency IDR at 'CC', highlighting large near-term refinancing requirements, constrained financing options, reliance on hydrocarbons, a spike in government debt and ongoing public finance weaknesses. The agency calculates a wide 2025 fiscal shortfall driven …
Fitch Ratings maintained Belgium's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating at A+ with a stable outlook, citing the country's diversified, high-income economy and eurozone membership. The agency highlighted strong governance metrics relative to A peers but flagged a widening fiscal deficit, rising public debt, and external sector pressures driven in part by…
S&P Global Ratings affirmed Uzbekistan’s long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings at 'BB/B' on May 22, 2026, with a stable outlook and a 'BB+' transfer and convertibility assessment. The rating action reflects a sharp rise in central bank international reserves to $71 billion as of early May 2026 - equal to 41% of GD…
S&P Global Ratings on May 22, 2026 affirmed Kuwait’s long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign ratings at 'AA-/A-1+' with a stable outlook, highlighting the country’s unusually large stock of liquid assets as a primary mitigant to the economic effects of the Middle East war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The agency project…
The Monetary Policy Committee of Paraguay's central bank voted unanimously to keep the benchmark interest rate at 5.5%, marking a third straight meeting without adjustment. Policymakers said the current rate is consistent with a neutral monetary stance amid stronger economic activity, subdued year-on-year inflation and external uncertainties linked…
S&P Global Ratings has reaffirmed the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's long- and short-term issuer credit ratings at 'B+/B' and its 'B+' senior unsecured issue rating, while retaining a negative outlook. The agency cites election-related spending that has driven a large deficit over 2026-2027 and warns that failure by a new government to stab…
S&P Global Ratings has maintained Bahrain's long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings at 'B/B' with a stable outlook, even as it warns that conflict-related disruptions in the Middle East will slow growth and complicate fiscal consolidation in 2026. The agency has revised its 2026 real GDP forecast to a 3.3% contr…
U.S. and Taiwanese officials have discussed the possibility of a direct phone call between President Donald Trump and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, but four people familiar with the matter say no concrete plans have been finalized. The prospect of a presidential conversation - unprecedented since the U.S. switched diplomatic recognition to Beij…
A U.S. judge dismissed criminal charges against Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego, concluding prosecutors would not have pursued the case if he had not contested his deportation. Abrego, who entered the United States without authorization, was sent to a large prison in El Salvador in March despite a prior court order that barred his return because o…
On May 22, a divided 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined by a 6-5 vote to rehear the case of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist. The decision preserves a January 2-1 panel finding that a lower-court judge lacked jurisdiction to order his release from immigration detention, leaving open the possibility of …
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged a revitalization of diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia, saying he expects the United States to propose possible formats and a schedule for talks. Speaking in his nightly video address after a virtual session with leaders from Britain, France and Germany, Zelenskiy described the frontline situation as f…
Marine Le Pen has reiterated her pledge to withdraw France from NATO's integrated military command if she wins the presidency, arguing that remaining in the alliance but leaving the command would protect French independence. Her stance was condemned by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as "irresponsible" amid NATO ministerial meetings in Sweden, un…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued a policy memo requiring most noncitizens seeking to adjust their status to permanent residency to return to their home countries and apply through the State Department. The change, which agency leaders say will reallocate resources, has drawn criticism from refugee and immigrant aid organizations…
The World Health Organization has upgraded the national risk level for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to "very high" after reporting a rapid spread of the Bundibugyo virus. Authorities list nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, with dozens of confirmed infections. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri and Nort…
France has prepared a U.N. Security Council draft resolution to enable an international mission aimed at re-establishing movement through the Strait of Hormuz and may table it when diplomatic conditions permit. The move comes as a U.S.-Bahraini draft demanding Iran stop attacks and mining in the strait has been delayed amid signals that Russia and …
Large posters posted in Rome and Milan train stations by Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva use 1930s-style fascist lettering to link Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with Benito Mussolini. One billboard that read "When she was around, trains arrived late" was taken down after the station advertising firm said it was detrimental to the railway’s reputation. O…
On May 22, the U.S. Defense Department released a second set of previously classified files documenting alleged unidentified anomalous phenomena. The documents include reports of unexplained green orbs, discs and fireballs, and one of the files contains extensive material on sightings and investigations at a Sandia, New Mexico, facility between 194…
South Africa has published draft changes to its automotive incentive framework that would strengthen support for electric-vehicle battery manufacturers. The proposed amendments would expand the list of materials eligible for production credits and customs rebates - including critical minerals processed in South Africa or neighbouring countries - an…
Mexico and the European Union will sign a comprehensive free trade agreement in Mexico City, extending a 2000 accord that covered only industrial goods to include services, digital trade, government procurement, investment and agricultural products. The signing follows broad agreement in 2025 and comes as both sides seek to diversify exports away f…
Maria Karystianou, whose 20-year-old daughter Marthi was among 57 people killed in Greece's 2023 Tempi train crash, has founded a political party called Hope for Democracy. A paediatrician with no prior political experience, Karystianou rose to prominence as a justice campaigner and helped mobilise large street protests demanding accountability. He…
Russian officials reported that an overnight drone strike on a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region left at least four people dead and wounded 35 children, with rescue teams searching for those still trapped under rubble. Moscow and Kyiv exchange accusations while independent verification remains unavailable.
A leading global health academic says the likelihood of Ebola transmission among World Cup attendees is low, yet intensified screening and recent travel restrictions tied to an outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) are already affecting team preparations and are likely to add logistical complexity and expense for hosts and tra…
Pakistan resumed shuttle diplomacy in Tehran on May 22, carrying a U.S. message as negotiators sought a resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict. Iranian and U.S. officials reported limited progress, while disagreements over Tehran’s near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile and proposals to levy fees in the Strait of Hormuz remain central obstacles. Market…
Taiwan’s presidential office said it has not been informed of any U.S. change to planned military sales after a senior U.S. official said there was a pause to ensure sufficient munitions for the U.S. operation against Iran. Taipei continues to await approval of a major arms package that could be worth as much as $14 billion, while U.S. leaders rema…
U.S. President Donald Trump said he intends to speak with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, a move without precedent for a sitting U.S. president and one that could further strain already fraught U.S.-China ties. Taipei welcomed the prospect, while Beijing urged Washington to be cautious and warned against encouraging separatism. Analysts point to C…
