In This Edition

Key Takeaways

S&P Global has downgraded credit ratings for over 1300 companies so far this year.China and India began pulling back troops from each side of their border. Virus cases surge in the Ukraine and Kazakhstan, passing 50,000 in each country, driving active European cases over 1 million for first time.

Condition Updates

A rundown of important global developments in markets, in business, and region-by-region, as well as statistical risk assessments by country and by US state.

Results and Consequences of the 2020 Russian Constitutional “Referendum”

The week-long constitutional referendum in Russia concluded on July 1 with unsurprising results: close to 78 percent of Russians backed a package of constitutional amendments that, among other things, will allow President Vladimir Putin to run for two additional terms. Barring unprecedented domestic upheaval, Putin will now be able to “ride out” bumps in the road from the coronavirus pandemic and related international political and economic crises.

Civil Unrest Across Africa in the First Half of 2020

Although incidents of unrest in Africa are trending downward overall since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there remains no shortage of political, labor, communal, and ethnic strife to sustain protests, riots and strikes. There is widespread frustration with economic hardships suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and anger at health risks posed by inadequate protection from authorities. Included is a review of incidents of unrest across Africa in the first half of 2020.

Download the article