Why Venezuela’s Political Upheaval Is Unlikely to Jolt Oil Markets Anytime Soon

The overthrow of Nicolás Maduro in one of the world’s most oil-rich countries might ordinarily be expected to send shockwaves through global energy markets. Instead, traders and analysts are treating the event as largely neutral in the near term. Despite Venezuela’s vast reserves and its symbolic weight as a founding member of OPEC, the country’s…

Washington’s Gamble in Caracas Signals a New Phase of U.S. Power Projection

President Donald Trump’s declaration that the United States will temporarily run Venezuela following the capture of its president marks one of the most consequential assertions of American authority in the Western Hemisphere in decades. The statement goes far beyond the immediate drama of a high-risk raid and the detention of a foreign leader. It signals…

Europe’s Fiscal Pivot Signals a Strategic Recalibration on Ukraine Funding

European Union leaders’ decision to fund Ukraine through joint borrowing rather than directly mobilising frozen Russian central bank assets marks a significant shift in the bloc’s financial and political strategy. While the headline outcome is a €90 billion support package for 2026–27, the deeper story lies in how legal risk, internal divisions, and market credibility…

EU Scrutiny Intensifies as Google’s Spam Policy Sparks Competition Concerns Across Digital Publishing

Alphabet’s Google is facing renewed regulatory pressure in Europe as the European Commission opens a formal antitrust investigation into its spam-prevention policy, a move that underscores growing tensions between platform governance, algorithmic integrity and the economic stability of the news-publishing sector. The inquiry marks one of the most consequential tests yet of Europe’s Digital Markets…

Russia’s Shift to Homegrown Wines: How Sanctions, Tariffs and National Strategy Reshaped the Industry

Russia’s wine market is undergoing a profound transformation. Once brimming with French Burgundies, Italian Barolos and South American imports, supermarket shelves now showcase mainly Russian-made vintages. The shift, punctuated by Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, is not simply a consumer re-orientation—it embodies changing trade flows, protectionist impulses and a broader…

China’s Factory Sector Slips Further as October PMI Hits Six-Month Low Amid External and Domestic Headwinds

China’s manufacturing sector sank deeper in October, with the official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) falling to 49.0—its weakest reading in six months and below economists’ expectations. The downturn continues a contractionary streak that now stretches into its seventh consecutive month, highlighting how external shocks, weak domestic demand and structural challenges are converging to test the…

China’s Strategic Reset: EVs Dropped from Five-Year Plan as Oversupply Tests Industrial Policy

China’s latest five-year plan marks a striking shift in its industrial strategy, with electric vehicles — once the crown jewel of its technological ambitions — excluded for the first time in over a decade. The move signals Beijing’s growing concern over an overheated EV sector plagued by oversupply, falling profits, and intensifying global scrutiny. Instead,…

Washington Claims Sharp Drop in India’s Russian Oil Imports, but Trade Data and Refiners Indicate Business as Usual

The United States has asserted that India has halved its imports of Russian crude oil, signaling what it calls a major diplomatic success in curbing Moscow’s wartime revenues. Yet, on-the-ground data, refinery orders, and industry sources in New Delhi present a very different picture — one of steady purchases, rising import volumes, and no official…

Gates Foundation and PAHO Chart a New Path to Democratize Access to Weight-Loss Drugs

In a move that could reshape the global conversation around obesity and health equity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are laying groundwork to make new-generation weight-loss drugs—like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro—accessible to lower-income nations. What began as a quiet discussion in global health circles…