Most of the world's stock markets pushed higher and the dollar rose Thursday as investors weighed the prospect of more U.S. interest rate hikes and U.S. President Donald Trump's latest broadside in his trade war with China.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brushed off Thursday the U.S. president's criticism of Canada in continental trade talks, saying Donald Trump views them as hard "because Canadians are tough negotiators."

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced plans Wednesday for a luxury tourism destination on its northwestern coast, the latest in a series of mega projects as the oil-reliant kingdom seeks to diversify.

The U.S. House has passed an $854 billion spending bill that ramps up military funding but does not include President Donald Trump's cherished border wall, sending him the measure days before the government runs out of money.

Mexico is prepared to advance a bilateral trade agreement with the United States that Canada could join within the next few weeks, a top Mexican negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement said Wednesday.

Dozens of migrants working on Qatar's $45 billion World Cup final city of Lusail have gone unpaid for months, Amnesty International said Wednesday, the latest rights accusation against the 2022 tournament host.

Most Asian markets rose on Wednesday, with energy firms surging along with oil prices, as traders await the conclusion of a key Federal Reserve policy meeting.

While worries about the China-US trade row continue to erode confidence, the strong US economy and healthy corporate outlook are providing some buoyancy for now.

As doubts grow over China's vast "Belt and Road" trade infrastructure project, the EU is launching an alternative plan for Asia that it says will not saddle countries with debt they cannot repay.

The president of Argentina's central bank, Luis Caputo, abruptly resigned Tuesday, after just a few months in the position and amid a volatile economic crisis.

The resignation, which the bank said was for "personal reasons," came as President Mauricio Macri was negotiating additional IMF funding three months after securing a $50 billion loan from the international lender to stabilize Argentina's economy.

The World Bank warned Tuesday that the Gaza Strip's economy is in "free fall" as cuts to aid and salaries add to an already crippling Israeli blockade on the Hamas-run enclave.

The bank's report will be presented to the international donor group for Palestinians, known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, at its meeting in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.