News
Bolivia deploys thousands of troops to break La Paz siege as economic crisis bites
Bolivian security forces clashed with anti-government demonstrators outside La Paz on May 16, deploying some 3,500 soldiers and police officers in a bid to clear road blockades that have severed supply lines to the capital for two weeks.
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Lukashenko praises US as Belarus receives two-thirds of humanitarian aid from Washington
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has praised the United States as a leading source of humanitarian assistance for his country, saying Washington supplied two-thirds of the humanitarian aid received by Belarus over the past year.
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Saudi Arabia floats non-aggression pact with Iran modelled on Helsinki accords
Saudi Arabia is discussing with allies a non-aggression pact between Middle Eastern states and Iran, modelled on the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.
Serbia to submit final NIS proposal to MOL as talks near deadline
MOL has been in exclusive talks to acquire a 56.15% stake in NIS from Russia’s Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, which are under pressure to divest following US sanctions imposed in 2025.
El Salvador's bitcoin reserve tops $600mn as IMF compliance questions persist
El Salvador's strategic bitcoin reserve has surpassed $600mn in value, government data showed on May 15, as the country continues periodic cryptocurrency purchases despite pledges made under an IMF loan agreement to limit such acquisitions.
Uganda set to issue first sovereign sukuk to partly finance $3.16bn Kampala-Malaba railway
Uganda is turning to Islamic finance, regional investors to revive a standard gauge railway (SGR) aimed at boosting East African trade integration.
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ADNOC delivers update on landmark pipeline to Abu Dhabi crown prince
Abu Dhabi’s crown prince chaired an ADNOC meeting in which he was updated on the status of the company’s landmark West-East Pipeline Project.
Trump forced to eat humble pie in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping called the US a “country in decline” during a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing, a claim the US president brushed off, saying the Chinese premier was talking about his predecessor.
Poland targets top-three European economic influence within decade, finance minister says
Poland wants to become one of Europe’s three most influential and strongest economies within 10 years, Finance Minister Andrzej Domański said during the Impact ’26 congress in Poznań.
Hungary's Orban government sealed mega defence contract with 4iG ahead of election
New PM Peter Magyar says deal was signed secretly one month before the general election that ousted Viktor Orban's Fidesz.
Energy, Iran dominate final Trump-Xi Beijing summit
The emphasis on energy security and trade deficit reduction suggests a move towards a more transactional, stabilised partnership that prioritises domestic growth over ideological confrontation.
Czech ruling coalition passes parliamentary resolution against Sudetengerman summit in Brno
Resolution tabled by far-right SPD has already strained ties with Czechia's largest trading partner Germany.
Romania risks losing €15bn in RRF funds amid reform delays
Only seven of Romania's 45 targets and milestones under the Recovery and Resilience Facility have been fulfilled; the remaining 38 must be completed by the end of August.
Rubio affirms Taiwan status quo following Trump-Xi talks
US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged following high level talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 14.
Iraq’s Al-Zaidi government gains parliamentary approval
The Iraqi parliament voted to grant confidence to the government of Ali Falih Al-Zaidi, approving both its ministerial programme and 14 cabinet ministers during a parliamentary session attended by 270 lawmakers,
airBaltic quarterly losses widen to €70.1mn despite passenger growth
CEO Erno Hilden acknowledged airBaltic is operating under liquidity pressure, but stressed the airline is still meeting all financial obligations.
Systemic forced labour use in Turkmen cotton harvest has worsened, says report
Children among those forced into backbreaking labour. Filmed evidence for review gathered at "great risk".
Venezuela launches debt restructuring in bid to end decade of default
Venezuela's interim government has announced it will begin a formal restructuring of the country's external public debt, including obligations tied to state oil company PDVSA, in what could rank among the largest sovereign debt workouts in history.
IMF ready to assess Bolivia financing request as $3.3bn package talks confirmed
IMF says it stands ready to assess Bolivia's financing request as La Paz confirms talks on a $3.3bn package to address a dollar liquidity crunch and mounting debt obligations amid declining natural gas revenues.
Cuba runs out of fuel as protests push US aid offer back to the fore
Cuba declared it had exhausted every last drop of fuel on May 14 — no diesel, no fuel oil, no reserves — as blackouts of 22 hours plunged Havana into darkness and street protests thrust a pre-existing $100mn US aid offer back into the spotlight.