Monday, June 20: The World Bank Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics kicks off in Washington. This year’s agenda encompasses analysis of big data, and poverty eradication and the lingering impact of past colonialism.
Tuesday, June 21: The economic sentiment index released by the Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW) is one of the most closely watched survey-based indicators for the German economy. With nerves on edge over the Brexit vote this coming Thursday, the survey of investors and economists will of particular interest among investors looking to gauge the impact of a separation.
Wednesday, June 22: Hundreds of thousands of music fans will descend on Pilton, Somerset for the five-day Glastonbury Festival. With a history dating back to 1970, Glastonbury has hosted such legendary performers as David Bowie, Van Morrison, U2 and Bruce Springsteen over the years. Adele and Coldplay will headline this year’s event. Separated into a series of minifestivals catering to different tastes, fans of all stripes are more than likely to find something to their liking amid the notoriously mud-ridden campgrounds.
Thursday, June 23: In what may become a defining moment for both the U.K. and the European Union, U.K. voters will head to the polls to vote on a referendum on whether or not to secede from the 28-nation bloc. Despite dire warnings from several high-ranking politicos and economists, including Prime Minister David Cameron and Bank of England governor Mark Carney, that the economic fallout from a departure could severely impact both the U.K. and the euro zone, proponents of a Brexit have continued to keep up numbers in the polls. The June 16 assassination of Jo Cox, 41, a Labour Party Member of Parliament who was a vocal supporter of the pro-Remain camp, has cast an emotional pallor over the referendum.
Friday, June 24: Inti Raymi is a multiweek winter solstice celebration in Peru that represents a link between modern and ancient civilizations. The festival is modeled on one dating from the Inca Empire in veneration of the god Inti, which means “sun” in Quechua. Merrymakers will take in modern culinary delights while feteing the ancient seasonal tradition.
Saturday, June 25: Gay Pride parades across the world will take on a special significance in light of the June 12 mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub. Pride Week, which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Manhattan’s West Village, the event that catalyzed the gay rights movement in the U.S., has evolved into a celebration of the LGBT community’s achievements, heritage and history — as well as the extent the struggle for equal rights is still alive. Authorities in the Turkish city of Istanbul have banned this year’s Gay Pride parade over security concerns from right-wing groups in the country claiming they would not allow “degenerates” to celebrate such festivals in the country.
