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.
3,329 total articles
President Donald Trump announced that the United States has commenced "major combat operations" in Iran, saying the strikes are intended to destroy Iranian missiles and eliminate its naval forces. In a video posted on Truth Social he warned of potential American casualties, urged members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard to surrender with promi…
Israel launched what it described as a pre-emptive operation against Iran on Saturday, while U.S. forces began a series of air and sea strikes, according to U.S. officials. Explosions were reported in Tehran and sirens sounded across Israel as authorities closed airspace and ordered suspensions of schools and many workplaces. Iranian authorities wa…
Israel carried out a pre-emptive military strike against Iran, confirmed by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. Explosions were reported across Tehran soon after the announcement. The action marks a sharp end to recent diplomatic efforts and raises the prospect of broader conflict, with global markets watching for disruptions to energy flows and …
Israel announced it carried out a pre-emptive military strike against Iran, stating the operation was intended to remove threats to the country. The move marks a major escalation in a long-running confrontation over Iran's nuclear and missile programmes, after months of planning and coordination with Washington, and comes amid reports that U.S. str…
Fighting between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban fighters continued into a third day following overnight strikes that Pakistan says targeted Taliban military sites in Kabul, Kandahar and other areas. Islamabad says the operations respond to attacks by militants it accuses the Taliban of sheltering; the Taliban denies harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban…
Cuban authorities say a group of 10 Cuban nationals who arrived by sea from the United States carried 12,846 rounds of ammunition, 13 rifles and 11 pistols when they engaged in a gunbattle with a Cuban border guard vessel. Officials displayed recovered weapons and equipment on a televised program and described the incident as an attempted infiltrat…
Danish security services have issued a rare, broad warning ahead of the March 24 general election, saying foreign interference is 'highly likely.' The assessment names Russia as the principal threat and additionally identifies the United States and China as potential sources of influence. Authorities expect hybrid operations such as cyberattacks an…
British rock band Radiohead has demanded that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remove a social media video that used a version of the band’s song "Let Down" without consent. The clip, posted last week, paired the track with images ICE attributed to violence by immigrants present in the United States illegally. Radiohead called the use…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz completed a high-profile trip to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping and led a delegation of 30 senior German executives. The visit underscored deep trade and investment ties, emphasized a transition toward digital and green technology collaboration, and included a joint statement defending free trade and the …
Chile's health authorities declined a request to permit the Chinese hospital ship Silk Road Ark to provide medical care onboard to local residents, citing a lack of authorization under national health regulations. The decision follows rising U.S. concern over a proposed undersea cable linking Chile and Hong Kong and related diplomatic pressure, inc…
Guinea freed 16 members of Sierra Leone's security forces on Friday after talks in Conakry involving Sierra Leone's foreign minister and Guinea's prime minister. The detainees had been arrested earlier this week amid competing claims over whether Sierra Leonean personnel had entered Guinean territory while constructing a border post. The episode hi…
The United States has lifted sanctions on three senior Malian military officials previously targeted for ties to Russia's Wagner Group, a move tied to stepped-up U.S. engagement aimed at reviving counterterrorism cooperation. The delisted officials include Defense Minister Sadio Camara and two senior officers, Alou Boi Diarra and Adama Bagayoko. Wa…
High-resolution satellite images taken in February reveal a rise in the number of military support aircraft, including refuelling tankers and airborne warning aircraft, at Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Airbase, a long-standing host of U.S. forces. Imagery comparison over a four-day period in February shows aircraft counts growing from 27 to at least…
A U.N. Special Rapporteur says Taliban regulations requiring female patients to follow a dress code, be accompanied by a male guardian and be treated by male medical staff are preventing women and children in Afghanistan from receiving timely emergency care. The measures are creating immediate risks - including denied ambulance transport and childb…
Poland's chief national security adviser said Warsaw is skeptical of France’s suitability as a partner in any Europe-wide nuclear deterrent and views the United States as the only reliable nuclear partner at present. He urged Poland to monitor Franco-German discussions while prioritising NATO’s existing nuclear-sharing framework and called for alli…
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…
