The approval rating of Colombia’s leftist leader Gustavo Petro rose to its highest level since 2024, potentially boosting the chances of his ally Iván Cepeda in the presidential election in May. The proportion of people who approve of Petro’s administration increased by 1.6 percentage points to 41.8%, while disapproval remained stable at 54.7%, according to LatAm Pulse, a poll conducted by AtlasIn...
The approval rating of Colombia’s leftist leader Gustavo Petro rose to its highest level since 2024, potentially boosting the chances of his ally Iván Cepeda in the presidential election in May. The proportion of people who approve of Petro’s administration increased by 1.6 percentage points to 41.8%, while disapproval remained stable at 54.7%, according to LatAm Pulse, a poll conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News. Petro’s four-year term ends in August, and he can’t run for reelection. However, Senator Cepeda is among the three favorites in the upcoming vote. Petro’s controversial decision to increase the minimum wage by a record 23% this year bolstered his support among labor unions and some low income workers. His rebound in support contrasts with trends among other major regional leaders. The approval ratings of Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva , Argentina’s President Javier Milei , and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum have all declined this year. Colombians overwhelmingly see corruption as the country’s biggest problem, the poll found, which has long been the case. However, this year the health system has overtaken insecurity as voters’ second-biggest worry, the poll found. Presidential Candidates’ Standing The three favorites to win the presidency are neck and neck in terms of approval rating, the poll found. Right-wing Senator Paloma Valencia had a 44% favorable rating, while conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and Cepeda both scored 43%. However, fewer Colombians had a negative view of Valencia than of her opponents. Valencia has a net rating of -1 percentage point, compared with -6 for de la Espriella and -10 for Cepeda. Colombia will hold the first round of its presidential election on May 31, with a likely runoff three weeks later. Read more: Colombia’s Presidential Race Shifts as Valencia Gains Ground The next president will inherit strained fiscal accounts, rising insecurity and drug trafficking, and a deeply deteriorated he...
The European Central Bank is “closely monitoring” the economic effects of the Iran war and is determined to achieve price stability, Vice President Luis de Guindos said. “We are unwavering in our commitment to ensuring that inflation stabilizes at our 2% target in the medium term,” Guindos said Thursday in Tallinn, Estonia. “Our data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach allows us to respond i...
The European Central Bank is “closely monitoring” the economic effects of the Iran war and is determined to achieve price stability, Vice President Luis de Guindos said. “We are unwavering in our commitment to ensuring that inflation stabilizes at our 2% target in the medium term,” Guindos said Thursday in Tallinn, Estonia. “Our data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach allows us to respond in an agile manner to the evolving outlook.” The Middle East conflict has sent energy costs soaring, recalling the 2022 shock that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and saw inflation breach 10%. Policymakers including Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel have indicated the ECB will need to consider raising borrowing costs as soon as Aptil . Guindos also said: “With shipping now virtually at a standstill, we are facing a supply shock that will likely have far-reaching repercussions for the global economy and financial stability. The scale of the impact and the implications for price and financial stability will depend on how much the war spreads, and how long it lasts.” “Amid already elevated global uncertainty, this conflict could trigger the unraveling of interconnected vulnerabilities and cause systemic stress. It threatens to derail market sentiment at a time when asset valuations are high, potentially leading to a sharp repricing of risk for leveraged borrowers and sovereigns and amplifying stress in the non-bank financial sector.” “To strengthen Europe’s growth prospects and reduce its vulnerability to current and future shocks, the only viable path forward is to focus on what we can achieve together and foster deeper integration within Europe.” Read More: ECB Won’t Be ‘Paralyzed by Hesitation’ on Iran, Lagarde Says
Mexico’s central bank is likely to hold its benchmark interest rate steady or deliver a small cut later Thursday, with analysts unusually split between the two outcomes after last month’s decision to leave borrowing costs unchanged. A narrow majority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg — 16 out of 31 — expect the bank’s board to hold the key rate at 7%, while the rest see a 25-basis-point cut to 6...
Mexico’s central bank is likely to hold its benchmark interest rate steady or deliver a small cut later Thursday, with analysts unusually split between the two outcomes after last month’s decision to leave borrowing costs unchanged. A narrow majority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg — 16 out of 31 — expect the bank’s board to hold the key rate at 7%, while the rest see a 25-basis-point cut to 6.75%. The lack of consensus reflects fresh domestic and external pressures. Banxico, as the bank is known, may keep rates on hold to contain inflation risks fueled in part by rising energy costs after weeks of war in Iran. Alternatively, it could cite weak economic growth and its own estimate that inflation will ease to the 3% target next year to justify a small cut. The board held the rate at 7% in a unanimous Feb. 5 decision, pausing a nearly two-year easing cycle. At the time, officials said they would assess further adjustments in the coming months. In the first half of March, annual inflation accelerated more than expected to 4.63%, above the 4.37% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey and up from 4.13% in late February. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, edged down to 4.46% from 4.48% in the previous reading. Banxico targets inflation at 3%, plus or minus 1 percentage point. Among the factors pushing up headlinne inflation is a rebound in non-core prices, including perishable food costs and persistently high labor expenses that are likely to keep services inflation elevated, according to Alberto Ramos , chief Latin America economist at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. “The recent oil price shock is a new headwind on the inflation front, which depending on the duration and intensity of the shock may prompt the central bank to adopt a more near-term conservative stance,” Ramos wrote prior to the rate decision. Weaker Activity Sluggish economic growth — up just 0.6% last year — poses a downside risk to inflation, according to Banxico, which forecasts 1...
The US Shows A Way Out Of Germany's Energy Trap Submitted by Thomas Kolbe Big developments are underway in Tennessee and Alabama . Over the next five years, the joint Japanese-American project will bring several so-called small modular reactors (SMRs) of the BWRX-300 type online . Almost one percent of U.S. electricity production—slightly more than three gigawatts—will be added to the existing ene...
The US Shows A Way Out Of Germany's Energy Trap Submitted by Thomas Kolbe Big developments are underway in Tennessee and Alabama . Over the next five years, the joint Japanese-American project will bring several so-called small modular reactors (SMRs) of the BWRX-300 type online . Almost one percent of U.S. electricity production—slightly more than three gigawatts—will be added to the existing energy mix by reactors designed by Hitachi and GE Vernova. A caveat for purists of market economics: this is a hybrid project. While the majority is privately financed, export support from Japan as well as offtake guarantees and credit facilities accounting for roughly one percent of the total volume come from the U.S. Overall, this project represents an investment of $40 billion. It joins a number of major initiatives currently being driven largely by the private sector in the U.S. Major platform operators and tech giants—Google, Meta, and Microsoft—are deeply involved in building new nuclear capacities. This disproves, above all, the claims of most German ideologues who insist that nuclear power has no future worldwide. The fog has lifted. The truth is indisputably on the table. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz completes the evidence that Germany’s energy transition has not only failed but has destroyed hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of euros. Once the work of the eco-socialists is complete, we must conclude, more than a year’s worth of economic output may have gone up in smoke . This is economic substance and the guarantee of our prosperity. It is a reminder that the societal damage of this policy far exceeds what GDP figures alone can convey. In the wake of this realization—now felt in everyone’s wallet—several fatal insights emerge, describing the current state of the Federal Republic. First is the successful narrowing of public discourse to Merkel’s principle of “no alternatives.” Like a pyramid scheme set from the top, the issue of CO2-driven climate change ...
MUMBAI, India, March 26, 2026--LTM has been recognized as a Leader in multiple quadrants in the ISG Provider Lens™ Oracle Cloud and Technology Ecosystem 2025 reports.
MUMBAI, India, March 26, 2026--LTM has been recognized as a Leader in multiple quadrants in the ISG Provider Lens™ Oracle Cloud and Technology Ecosystem 2025 reports.
Ripple is the creator of the Ripple Payments network, which allows banks to make instant, low-cost international transfers. The company also created the XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) cryptocurrency to standardize those transactions. In 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple, arguing that XRP should be classified as a financial security. This would have placed strict regulations on...
Ripple is the creator of the Ripple Payments network, which allows banks to make instant, low-cost international transfers. The company also created the XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) cryptocurrency to standardize those transactions. In 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple, arguing that XRP should be classified as a financial security. This would have placed strict regulations on how Ripple issues the cryptocurrency to institutions, thus severely disrupting its business. The lawsuit suppressed the price of XRP for years, until Ripple and the SEC reached a settlement in August 2025, which sent the token soaring to a new record high. XRP has since declined by around 60% from its peak amid the recent sell-off in the broader crypto markets. However, on March 17, the SEC delivered more good news for the token, which could set the stage for another rally. Continue reading
Zambia’s economic growth rate slowed markedly in the final quarter of last year, resulting in annual output increasing at almost half the rate expected by the government. Inflation slowed to the lowest rate in eight years. Gross domestic product expanded 1.6% in the three months through December, compared with 8.3% in the prior quarter, according to preliminary data released by the Zambia Statisti...
Zambia’s economic growth rate slowed markedly in the final quarter of last year, resulting in annual output increasing at almost half the rate expected by the government. Inflation slowed to the lowest rate in eight years. Gross domestic product expanded 1.6% in the three months through December, compared with 8.3% in the prior quarter, according to preliminary data released by the Zambia Statistics Agency on Thursday. The information and communications sector along with wholesale and retail trade slowed in the quarter. The economy grew 3.8% for the whole of 2025 — the same rate as the year before, the agency said. That’s well short of the 6.6% Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane targeted in his budget speech for last year, and below the 4.5% that the International Monetary Fund anticipated earlier this month. While the statistics agency didn’t provide reasons for the sectoral slowdowns, record power cuts that lasted for more than 20 hours a day for most of last year are likely to have been a key factor. Zambia suffered its worst drought in decades in 2024, and economic growth that year was the slowest since the start of the decade. Read More: IMF Cuts Zambia’s 2025 GDP Growth Est. to 5.2% on Power Crunch The statistics agency also released data showing inflation decelerated this month to the lowest since March 2018, with the fallout from the war in Iran on global energy and fertilizer markets yet to feed through to higher prices. Consumer costs in Africa’s second-largest copper producer rose an annual 7.1%, compared with 7.5% in February, the statistics agency said. Prices rose 0.6% — the same as the month before. Annual food inflation cooled to 7.8% in March from 8.2% a month earlier. Non-food price growth softened to 5.9% from 6.5% in February. The inflation reading largely reflects data collected in the early days of the Iran war, which erupted on Feb. 28, and pricing pressures are widely expected to increase from here out. Read More: IMF Sees Zambia Program ...