The Rio Times

Mexico's retail sales rose 1.2% in August from July and 3.3% on the year, beating forecasts.

Britain has had six prime ministers since 2016.

Traders now see a 64% chance of Russia-Ukraine peace talks by year-end, up 27 points in 24 hours after Putin agreed to resume talks after 10 November.

A drone strike on Abyei’s Amiet Market killed at least 153 people, up from 73, a local official said.

In December 2024 Romania's Constitutional Court annulled a presidential election.

The AfD came first in two German state elections and leads national polls, yet governs nowhere.

Americans can still go to Cuba legally, but not as tourists: the 12 allowed categories, what changed on 30 September 2026 and what to check before booking.

Cuba-US tensions explained in plain English: the oil squeeze, sanctions, the Raúl Castro charges, the odds of a US strike and what could come next.

Brazil's runoff is a technical tie: Quaest has Flávio Bolsonaro at 45% and Lula at 44% (50.6% to 49.4% of valid votes), four days before the vote.

Sudan's war has displaced 11.3 million people; here is how many went to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and beyond, and who is going home.

Meio/Ideia puts Flávio Bolsonaro at 51.1% and Lula at 48.9% of valid votes, a technical tie four days before Brazil's 25 October runoff.

Lula says he will debate Flávio Bolsonaro on Globo only if Flávio opens his bank, tax and phone records.

A 50% section 338 tariff now hits Canadian alcohol, dairy, wood and other goods, raising costs for US importers and testing a 1930 trade law.

Argentina's Vaca Muerta offers Europe a new Atlantic LNG source after 2027, yet US LNG will carry the largest share of the replacement burden.

How France got here: the votes against Le Pen, the 2024 gamble, the court case, the debt and the October 2026 riots, with both sides of the argument.

Rio Times · USA & Canada Intelligence Brief October 21, 2026 — Alberta votes to remain in Canada while demanding more powers; traders see an 87% chance of a Bank of Canada rate hike; Washington accuses Ottawa of election interference amid tariff litigatio…

Polls close in waves from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Americans elect all 435 House members and 35 senators on 3 November 2026.

Rio Times · Europe Intelligence Brief October 21, 2026 — EU sanctions remain until war ends and Russian gas purchases are ruled out; Germany insists on budget cuts while rejecting common borrowing; France deploys soldiers and imposes curfews before weekend

Rio Times · Asia Intelligence Brief October 21, 2026 — China touts travel rebound and naval reach; Japan sees export strength but import strain; Indonesia calibrates liquidity; NextDC shock.

Rio Times · Africa Intelligence Brief October 21, 2026 — Ebola vigilance as Kenya reports eight cases; Abyei market strike; Senegal's 72-hour strike.

WEG, Brazil's electric motor maker, earned R$1.67 billion (US$332 million) in Q3, up 0.9%, as record foreign sales met copper and tariff costs.

France's government has survived the riots so far, but its 2027 budget faces a hostile parliament and a first vote on 3 November.

Six months before France chooses Emmanuel Macron's successor, Marine Le Pen leads both the polls and the betting markets.

You can still travel to France, but avoid protest days and the small night-curfew zones in Paris, Lyon and other city centres.

Cameroon’s gendarmerie says two brothers allegedly dug up a grave and sold human bones; one was arrested in Yaoundé, the other in Pitoa.

School protests in France merged with anger over living costs, bringing riots, night curfews in Paris and a jolt to the 2027 presidential race.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tables the mid-term budget on Wednesday 21 October, with new South Africa debt rules and fuel relief at stake.

American Airlines now owns about 7.9% of Brazil’s Azul after using all its warrants, a capital increase of about US$102 million on 20 October.

Nigeria’s Ebola case in Abuja has led the World Health Organization to urge every country in the region to stay ready.

Spain grows faster than Germany, France and Italy but had the EU's highest unemployment in August.

Pedro Sánchez faces a 29 November snap election with court cases around his wife, brother and party.

Sonangol's chairman said on Saturday 17 October that the Katambi-2 well is a pure gas field, with gas for Angola first and possibly for export.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s conservative People’s Party, is the betting favourite to become prime minister after the 29 November election.

Black Friday in Latin America 2026 falls on 27 November, two weeks after Mexico's Buen Fin begins.

Samba at Casa de Francisca with free basement entry for the first 100 guests, a Blue Note showcase and Cuban music: tonight in São Paulo, with prices and tips.

A calm Wednesday in Rio: Escafandristas sing Chico Buarque, a divas tribute plays downtown and Lapa opens for samba, with prices and transport tips.

Prime Minister John Briceño says Moody's upgrade of Belize to B3 gave his delegation a stronger standing with the IMF, the World Bank and regional lenders.

The IMF expects Belize's economy to grow 1.9% in 2026, down from 2.6% in 2025, ahead of the Caribbean tourism average but behind Central America.

The Trinidad recession dispute reached Parliament, where the prime minister cited IMF growth forecasts and defended plans to sell state-owned hotels.

Botswana's energy regulator said on Monday 19 October that a bill creating power trading and private transmission lines goes to Parliament in November.

Jamaica's National Water Commission applied for a 51% tariff increase, and the regulator confirmed receipt as the utility's unpaid bills reached US$209 million.

Kenya's central bank published its CEO survey on Tuesday 20 October: 45.5% of chief executives expect higher growth for their firms, up from 43.3% in July.

Niger and IMF staff agreed on 8 October to a US$203 million, 38-month programme that now needs board approval in early December 2026.

African Minerals, once valued at about US$3 billion, collapsed in 2015 and lost Sierra Leone's Tonkolili iron ore mine.

A Kenyan court convicted ex-governor Okoth Obado and two former aides of murdering student Sharon Otieno.

Suriname's foreign minister asked US officials in Washington for more investment in oil, farming and infrastructure, with no deal or dollar amount announced.

On Tuesday 20 October Algeria began building daily food price checks, with wholesale agents brought in, a call for more inspectors and a citizen complaints app.

Liberia hosts its first international mining and energy conference on 28 and 29 October, with iron ore, gold and power projects worth over US$3 billion.

Ethiopia warns Eritrea of severe consequences: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a Tigrinya interview that Eritrea's Red Sea ports lie empty.