Stories for 2026

Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 17:53 UTC
Brazil softens Selic rate but concerns grow about fiscal stimulus on election year and impact of El Niño

Brazil’s central bank interest rate-setting committee, Copom, ‌unanimously voted on Wednesday to lower its benchmark Selic rate by 25 basis points to 14.25%, a level last seen in May 2025, ‌but acknowledging a tougher inflation outlook given the risks from election-year fiscal stimulus and the impact of a likely El Nino weather pattern shock.
Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 16:45 UTC
Why More New Zealanders Are Choosing Mobile Gaming Over Traditional Entertainment

If you sit in any café in Auckland for long enough, you'll probably notice the same thing. Almost everyone has a phone in their hand. Some people are checking messages, some are scrolling through social media, and others are playing games. It's become such a normal part of everyday life that most people don't even think about it anymore.
Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 15:06 UTC
Falklands’ Government requests input on modern anti-discrimination legislation

The Falkland Islands Government is currently developing modernized anti-discrimination legislation, with the first phase focusing on protections relating to race.
Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 14:54 UTC
Fed keeps rates unchanged; new chairman Warsh anticipates FOMC summaries will be shorter…and to facts

The Federal Open Market Committee from the US Federal Reserve voted unanimously to keep its benchmark overnight borrowing rate anchored in a range of 3.5%-3.75%. It was the first meeting of the Fed with the newly appointed chairman, Kevin Warsh.
Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 14:48 UTC
Falklands, regular military activities around Stanley at the end of June

From 28–30 June 2026, BFSAI’s (British Forces South Atlantic Islands) current RIC (Roulement Infantry Company), 5 RIFLES, will be conducting activity in and around the capital of the Falkland Islands, Stanley.
Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 14:40 UTC
David Hockney, the artist who forced Britain to make room for color, joy and queerness

By Simon Mckeown. Professor of Art, School of Arts & Creative Industries, Teesside University, Teesside University

Born in Bradford and shaped by northern art-school discipline, David Hockney brought a working-class, almost punk refusal to British art: do the work, trust the eye, do not ask for approval. Hockney made success look effortless: all color, good humor, great glasses, cigarettes and smoky charm. But for a young gay artist from a northern mill town, nothing about that journey was effortless.
Thursday, June 18th 2026 - 07:43 UTC
Milei reforms by decree the system for appointing Argentina's Supreme Court justices

Argentina's President Javier Milei reformed by decree the system for appointing Supreme Court justices: he eliminated a stage of citizen participation prior to the nomination and removed the recommendation to consider criteria of gender, specialty and regional-origin diversity. The measure, made official on Tuesday, was questioned by legal experts and judicial-sector organizations.
Wednesday, June 17th 2026 - 19:21 UTC
US-Iran memorandum sets Hormuz reopening, $300 billion reconstruction and sanctions relief

The United States government on Wednesday released the official text of the agreement reached with Iran to end the war, a 14-point document called the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” that provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a reconstruction plan of at least $300 billion and the lifting of sanctions. The text, read by a senior official of Donald Trump's administration, will be signed on Friday in Switzerland and will open a 60-day period to negotiate the definitive agreement.
Wednesday, June 17th 2026 - 19:11 UTC
Bolivia's blockade crisis leaves at least 16 dead as the government calls unions to talks

The crisis caused by more than seven weeks of road blockades in Bolivia, driven by sectors demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, has left at least 16 people dead, as the government called the Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) on Wednesday to a dialogue to seek a way out. By midday, the country's largest union confederation had not confirmed its attendance.
Wednesday, June 17th 2026 - 19:05 UTC
Trump calls Brazil 'politically difficult'; Lula says he should learn about 'civilized elections'

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday asked his US counterpart, Donald Trump, not to interfere in Brazil's elections, a matter he stressed is exclusive to Brazil, just as his country does not seek to meddle in the electoral processes of the United States. The demand was a response to remarks Trump had made about Brazil hours earlier.