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.
3,089 total articles
Colombia's commerce minister said the government will propose lifting duties on certain Ecuadorian imports from 30% to 50% in response to Ecuador's recent tariff hikes. Quito has already announced tariffs of 50% on Colombian goods beginning March 1 and increased a pipeline fee on crude, prompting halted shipments and heightened tensions between the…
The U.N. human rights chief warned that South Sudan is confronting a perilous moment as a surge in killings and a deterioration of military discipline threaten the stability of a 2018 peace agreement. Documented deaths and a sharp rise in rights abuses, coupled with political turmoil following the suspension and charging of a key opposition leader,…
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has announced that consular officers will offer routine passport services this week in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, marking the first time American officials have provided such services on-site in a settlement. The move comes amid heightened tensions over settlement policy, new Israeli cabinet measures easing set…
Islamabad’s recent air strikes against Taliban-held sites in Afghanistan mark a sharp escalation in a long-simmering dispute over militant sanctuaries. The move, described by Pakistan’s defence minister as an "open war", follows years of fraught ties after the Taliban seized power in 2021. With major regional actors offering to mediate and U.S. for…
Ukraine is exploring the creation of multinational consortia with allied states to develop air defences capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and to overcome critical shortages of PAC-3 munitions for U.S.-supplied Patriot systems. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine has the industrial potential to manufacture its own counter-ballist…
Spain's proposal to fast-track legal status for hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants is generating pressure on immigration offices and uncertainty among prospective applicants. With limited detail on eligibility documentation, no additional budget announced, and existing backlogs still unresolved, unions, lawyers and migrants warn the rol…
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has authorized non-emergency government employees and their family members to depart Israel voluntarily, citing safety risks. The move falls short of an ordered evacuation and comes as Washington sustains a large military deployment in the Middle East while diplomatic talks with Iran show no immediate progress.
A Tunisian court on Friday handed former prime minister Ali Larayedh a 24-year prison sentence for allegedly facilitating the travel of Tunisian jihadists to Syria over the past decade. Larayedh, detained since 2022, denies the charges and can appeal. The Islamist opposition party Ennahda says the prosecution forms part of a politically motivated c…
Britain's Ministry of Defence has launched a review of military flight records after documents surfaced that appear to show Jeffrey Epstein's private jet landed at Royal Air Force bases. The move follows parallel police assessments into whether Epstein trafficked women through a number of UK airports and comes after January file releases that promp…
Pakistan launched overnight air strikes on Afghan urban centres and border sectors, striking Taliban military installations after Afghanistan attacked Pakistani border forces. Both governments reported heavy losses, and Pakistan's defence minister described the situation as an 'open war'. The violence follows renewed tensions after Pakistan's recen…
In a by-election held on Feb 27 in Gorton and Denton, the Green Party's Hannah Spencer captured a seat Labour had dominated for nearly a century. The result - Greens 40.7%, Reform UK 28.7%, Labour 25.4% - marks a major upset and deepens the leadership challenges facing Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid recent political turmoil.
As clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border intensify, available data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies underline a pronounced asymmetry in forces and arsenals. Pakistan fields significantly larger personnel numbers, more combat aircraft, a sizeable fleet of helicopters, thousands of armoured vehicles and artillery pieces,…
Pakistan said it launched air and ground strikes on Taliban positions in multiple sectors along the Afghanistan border, with the Taliban reporting attacks in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. Officials on both sides reported substantial casualties and damage, offering sharply different figures that could not be independently confirmed. The clashes repres…
Three people familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting say President Trump’s statement that Iran is nearing a missile capable of striking the United States is not supported by the intelligence community, and appears overstated. Two of those sources said there have been no changes to an unclassified 2025 Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that I…
Indirect negotiations in Geneva between U.S. envoys and Iranian officials, mediated by Oman, showed areas of convergence but did not produce an agreement. Both sides signaled willingness to continue discussions, with technical-level meetings scheduled in Vienna next week and further consultations expected in capitals. The talks occurred against a b…
This week the navies of the Philippines, the United States and Japan carried out coordinated exercises in the South China Sea. The Philippine military described the operations as advancing partner interoperability, maritime security and Maritime Domain Awareness. Participating platforms included the Philippine frigate Antonio Luna, helicopters and …
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has issued an executive order that prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using city-owned property for operations and directs Denver law enforcement to protect peaceful demonstrators during civil immigration enforcement. The move follows similar orders in other Democratic-led cities and comes amid …
Public memorial events in Chicago have drawn community members, elected officials and longtime allies to honor Jesse Jackson, whose civil rights work and political organizing left a lasting imprint on American life. A public viewing at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters attracted mourners who queued for nearly two blocks to see Jackson lying in re…
U.S. authorities have arrested Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot who once led units responsible for nuclear delivery systems, charging him with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots. The Justice Department says Brown negotiated with Su Bin beginning in August 2023, travele…
The U.S. government has set an internal objective to process roughly 4,500 refugee applications per month from white South Africans, according to a State Department contracting document dated January 27. The document also details installation of prefabricated modular units on embassy grounds in Pretoria to create a secure temporary processing site,…
U.S. officials privately told Syrian telecom authorities they should avoid relying on Chinese equipment, citing national security concerns. The guidance was delivered during a meeting in San Francisco between a U.S. State Department team and Syria's communications minister amid Damascus' efforts to restore and expand telecommunications after years …
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, rejected recent calls for her resignation and described sustained, damaging attacks against her as "toxic". European states including Germany, France and Italy have urged her to step down following remarks critical of Israel. A letter …
Russian authorities have set an early April timetable to block the Telegram messaging application, according to a report from RBC. The government says the app enables illegal and extremist content, a charge Telegram denies, arguing the move seeks to drive users toward a new state-run messenger called MAX. Sources indicate the app may remain reachab…
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has scheduled a parliamentary election for March 24, moving to translate increased public backing from her confrontational posture over Greenland into electoral advantage. Her international profile - bolstered by quick pandemic measures and efforts to rally Europe behind Ukraine - is now being tested against voter c…
The U.S. Treasury Department proposed a rule that would, if finalized, block MBaer Merchant Bank AG, a Swiss bank, from accessing the U.S. financial system. Treasury officials say the bank and certain employees facilitated corruption tied to Russian money laundering and handled transactions linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its…
