The Israel-Hamas war is affecting travel across the Middle East and beyond. International arrivals to the region grew in the fourth quarter of 2023 — mainly owing to an increase in visitors to Saudi Arabia — to a level that matched 2019 numbers, according to the travel data company ForwardKeys. But it’s a far cry … Read more
Cargo ships dock at the Longtan Container Terminal of Nanjing Port to load and unload containers in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, Sept 6, 2023. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images A slowdown in demand for products manufactured in Asia has ocean carriers reducing freight rates on shipping routes from China to the West Coast and … Read more
View of stranded boats at Alhajuela Lake during the summer drought, in Colon province, 50 km north of Panama City, Panama, on April 21, 2023. The Alhajuela lake is one of the main lakes that supplies water to the locks of the Panama Canal and is at its lowest level of recent years. Luis Acosta … Read more
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose above 4.06% Thursday after the latest inflation reading came in hotter than expected, pushing expectations for an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve further out. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose more than 3 basis points at 4.062%. It has been hovering around the 4% mark … Read more
A job fair in China’s southwestern city of Chongqing on April 11, 2023. Str | Afp | Getty Images The global economy is on course to record its worst half decade of growth in 30 years, according to the World Bank. Global growth is forecast to slow for the third year in a row in … Read more
U.S. President Joe Biden greets South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, September 16, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters South Africa’s genocide accusation against Israel has placed further strain on an already frayed relationship with the U.S. and could have serious diplomatic ramifications. The International Court of … Read more
A screen displays the Dow Jones Industrial Average after the closing bell on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 13, 2023. Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters The global economy is moving into a new “super cycle,” with artificial intelligence and decarbonization being driving factors, according to Peter Oppenheimer, the head of macro … Read more
The United Nations issued a somber global economic forecast for 2024 on Thursday, pointing to challenges from escalating conflicts, sluggish global trade, persistently high interest rates and increasing climate disasters. In its flagship economic report, the U.N. projected that global economic growth would slow to 2.4 per cent this year from an estimated 2.7 per … Read more
Skyline of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was the top spender among global sovereign wealth funds last year, accounting for about a quarter of the $124 billion splashed by state-owned investors, according to a preliminary report by research consultancy Global SWF. The Saudi … Read more
LONDON — European stocks started the final session of 2023 higher, marking a positive end to a solid year. The regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.18% shortly after the open, with all sectors in the green except oil and gas, which slipped 0.2%. Thin trade is expected, while London markets close early. The blue-chip … Read more
