After a first quarter of the year marked by optimism, with jubilant celebrations over the bright future of the tech industry, reality takes hold. Recent statements by Fed leaders and recent developments on the world stage have reminded overly excited investors that there is still high inflation and a war in the Middle East.

Protests in Jordan against the Israeli war on Gaza have escalated in recent weeks, particularly around the Israeli embassy in the Middle Eastern country’s capital of Amman. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists have been arrested, despite the largely peaceful nature of the ongoing demonstrations.

The United States must consider its next steps, as the temporary license to ease restrictions on Venezuela’s oil sanction is set to expire on Thursday. The agreement's condition, which provides necessary breathing room for Venezuela's oil and gas sectors, would depend on President Nicolas Maduro making democratic progress by the upcoming election date of July 28.

On April 14, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sat down with CNN to discuss his upcoming summit with President Biden. During the discussion, Kishida discussed the rising tensions around the world as well as how Japan’s foreign policy is acclimating to the new geopolitical environment.

In the lead-up to Mexico's largest election, a wave of violence against political candidates has cast a shadow over the country's democratic process. The targeting of candidates by organized crime groups seeking to influence the outcome of elections has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the safety of those participating in it.

The market has, by all means, had a great start to the year. Nvidia has doubled. The Dow has repeatedly come close to breaching a historic 40,000 level. The Nasdaq has risen 11%. The S&P has risen by close to 10%.
But there’s an important catch to this market rally.