South Africa

Economics

A three-month strike at mining company Sibanye-Stillwater's gold mines in South Africa is set to end after the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) approved a three-year wage proposal, Daily Maverick reported June 6.

South Africa: Sibanye-Stillwater Gold Operations Resume After Wage Deal

Supply Chains

Anglo American Platinum Ltd., the world's largest platinum miner by market value, agreed to a five-year wage deal with South Africa's Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Bloomberg reported May 24.

South Africa: Unions, Anglo American Platinum Reach Wage Deal

United States

Australia

Brunei Darussalam

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

New Zealand

Philippines

Singapore

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

India

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

During U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Tokyo, Japan, he announced the basic framework for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which seeks to create standardization across nations and new, redundant supply chains to prevent future disruptions, Reuters reported May 23.

Asia-Pacific: Biden Unveils Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Basics

Environment, Science & Technology

Heavy rains flooded South Africa's eastern KwaZulu Natal province over the weekend, leading hundreds of people to evacuate their homes as roads flooded and housing settlements collapsed, Reuters reported May 22.

South Africa: More Flooding to Delay Rebuilding in KwaZulu-Natal

Environmental Issues

Peru

Politics

Military & Security

On May 19, the Peruvian government authorized the direct purchase of nitrogenous fertilizers from across the world in an effort to alleviate a domestic fertilizer shortage, but the amount purchased will only be enough to cover roughly a fourth of all hectares that utilize fertilizers, La Republica reported May 20.

Peru: Fertilizer Shortage May Lead to Food Crisis

Agriculture

Security

The Peruvian government announced a state of emergency in the mining districts of Challhuahuacho and Coyllurqui for a period of 30 days in an effort to clear protesters staging a sit-in at the MMG Ltd.-owned Las Bambas copper mine, which accounts for roughly 2% of the world's daily copper output, La Republica reported April 27.

Peru: Police Evict Protesters From Las Bambas Mine

South Sudan

Ethiopia

Kenya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

The U.S. government is using emergency funding powers to give $670 million in food aid to six countries in or near the Horn of Africa that are heavily affected by food shortages resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported April 28.

Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S.: Biden Administration to Send Emergency Food Aid to Horn of Africa

China

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

China in Transition

The world's premier consumer drone maker, China's DJI Technology Co, announced on April 26 that it would temporarily suspend drone sales to Russia and Ukraine, citing a reassessment of "compliance requirements in various jurisdictions," Caixin reported April 27.

China: Drone Maker to Suspend Sales to Russia and Ukraine Amid Western Pressure

When it comes to technological advancement, the most important question is not what goods will be produced but where they will be produced — and how quickly they move around the world. Ports are operating more efficiently, more things are being automated, and companies are reducing and adapting their inventories for speedier delivery. These developments will naturally have political repercussions as job markets and regulations change.

Technological developments will have political repercussions as job markets and regulations change.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The New Silk Road

North America Unrivaled

Globalization

Social Issues

The 4th Industrial Revolution

Assessments

European Council president Charles Michel talks with the press on May 30, 2022, after arriving in Brussels, Belgium, for a special EU meeting focused on the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. 

Energy

European Disintegration

The caveated embargo shows Brussels may be reaching a limit in how much more economic pain it can inflict on Moscow without jeopardizing the bloc's own stability.

The EU Has Finally Approved Its Ban on Russian Oil. What Now?

Divided EU Foreign Policies

A photo taken on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo shows U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attending a video call with leaders from countries in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. 

The narrow scope of the initiative will limit its effectiveness in achieving Washington’s goal of countering China’s regional rise.

The Stumbling Blocks of Biden's New Indo-Pacific Economic Bloc

U.S.-China Relations

Workers are seen outside a compound where residents are being tested for COVID-19 in the Jing'an district in Shanghai, China on April 4, 2022. 

Beijing will likely remain focused on eradicating outbreaks through at least October, portending continued lockdowns in Shanghai and China’s other highly populated financial hubs. 

How Much Longer Can China Maintain Its ‘Zero-COVID’ Strategy?

COVID-19

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

A compressor station is seen at the Yamal-Europe pipeline -- which connects Germany and Poland to the natural gas fields in Russia’s Yamal Peninsula -- in the Polish city of Wloclawek on Feb. 19, 2022. 

A Crude Recovery

Disruptions to Russian oil and natural gas exports will exacerbate already-high energy prices and, in turn, global inflation.

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Rattles Global Energy Markets

Media

Podcasts

What's behind rising inflation, and how long will it last?

Essential Geopolitics: What's up With U.S. Inflation?

Snapshots

France

Greece

United Kingdom

Austria

Italy

Passengers from London arrive at a Eurostar terminal in Paris on Dec. 16, 2021, before France imposed new travel restrictions to and from the United Kingdom in response to the omicron variant of COVID-19. 

Tourism and hospitality sectors will again be hit hardest, as governments prioritize protecting manufacturing and supply chains over business and leisure travel.

In Europe, Omicron Fears Spur More Travel Bans and Lockdowns

The Fate of the Eurozone

Staff conduct research for Top Glove, one of the world's largest rubber glove manufacturers, in a factory located near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Aug. 26, 2020. 

U.K.-based Dyson’s move to cut ties with a Malaysian manufacturer will not alone impact the country’s business environment so long as Western pressure remains tolerable. 

Despite Foreign Firm Exits, Malaysia’s Labor Issues Will Persist 

Taiwan

Employees make chips at a semiconductor factory in China's eastern Jiangsu province on March 17, 2021. 

Increased investment from the U.S., EU, China and Japan will lead to more chip factories being built. But it won’t defuse the threat of another global chip shortage.

In the Race to Boost Semiconductor Manufacturing, Global Powers Take Their Marks

Cyber

Ireland

Police officers stand guard as pro-British loyalists protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol at Belfast Harbour on July 3, 2021. 

London’s threat to suspend the agreement could jeopardize its free trade deal with Brussels while undermining other aspects of the bilateral relationship.

A Suspended Northern Ireland Protocol Could Snowball Into a Greater EU-U.K. Rift

Brexit

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai fields questions about the White House’s trade policy agenda from members of the Senate Finance Committee on May 12, 2021. 

The White House will likely restructure tariffs to focus on goods that are supported by Beijing’s industrial subsidy policies. 

Biden’s China Trade Policy Maintains Trump’s Tariff-Heavy Approach

Cars line up at a gas station in the U.K. village of Odiham amid fuel shortages on Sept. 30, 2021. 

Winter-related spikes in oil and gas demand will keep prices elevated, benefiting exporter countries while undermining the economic recoveries of their consumers.

The World Braces for a Period of High Energy Prices

A sign is seen at Stena Line's Irish Sea ferry terminal in Liverpool on Sept. 7, 2021.

While they’ve avoided short-term trade disruptions, Brussels and London still have fundamentally different goals for amending the Northern Ireland protocol. 

The EU and U.K. Reach a Temporary Truce on Northern Ireland

Supply Chains

SITUATION REPORTS

South Africa: Sibanye-Stillwater Gold Operations Resume After Wage Deal

South Africa: Unions, Anglo American Platinum Reach Wage Deal

Asia-Pacific: Biden Unveils Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Basics

South Africa: More Flooding to Delay Rebuilding in KwaZulu-Natal

Peru: Fertilizer Shortage May Lead to Food Crisis

Peru: Police Evict Protesters From Las Bambas Mine

Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S.: Biden Administration to Send Emergency Food Aid to Horn of Africa

China: Drone Maker to Suspend Sales to Russia and Ukraine Amid Western Pressure

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