Japan suggests possible yen intervention, with US support

Japanese authorities recently spent close to $63bn intervening after the yen weakened beyond the JPY160 per dollar level.

Iran's Ghalibaf handed China portfolio in signal of deepening Beijing tilt

Iran has placed parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in charge of relations with China, in a move described as a step to deepen ties with Tehran's most important strategic partner, academic Mohammad Marandi has said.

Drone strike sparks fire at UAE's Barakah nuclear plant as IAEA voices concern

A drone strike has sparked a fire on the perimeter of the UAE's Barakah nuclear power plant, prompting the IAEA to express "grave concern", though authorities said radiation levels remain normal and operations were unaffected.

Lukashenko praises US as Belarus receives two-thirds of humanitarian aid from Washington

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has praised the United States as a leading source of humanitarian assistance for his country, saying Washington supplied two-thirds of the humanitarian aid received by Belarus over the past year.

Saudi Arabia floats non-aggression pact with Iran modelled on Helsinki accords

Saudi Arabia is discussing with allies a non-aggression pact between Middle Eastern states and Iran, modelled on the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.

Natalya Kasperskaya: Kremlin loyalist and IT lobbyist

Natalya Kasperskaya has successfully grown her software development company, InfoWatch Group, while also acting as a lobbyist for the Russian IT sector.

Iran's digital economy loses up to IRR7 quadrillion in 70 days of internet disruption

Iran's digital economy has suffered losses of between IRR3 quadrillion and IRR7 quadrillion ($1.66bn to $3.88bn) over roughly 70 days of internet disruption.

Malaysia shifts from Singapore overflow hub to regional AI data centre powerhouse

The Malaysian data centre landscape is in the middle of a transformation, in which the country tries to evolve from a secondary destination for Singapore’s overflow demand into a regional leader in high-value Artificial Intelligence infrastructure.

Việt Nam Sets $300bn digital tech revenue goal

Poland to advance 3% digital tax despite US criticism

Finance Minister Andrzej Domański says tech companies must pay taxes in Poland, "just like everyone else".

US–China Summit: A strategic moment for stabilizing bilateral relations

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 13 for a new round of face-to-face talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping from May 14 to 15, a meeting arriving at a particularly delicate moment in global politics and the international economy.

IMF: Extreme inequality is fuelling a global debt crisis

During the Great Depression, as he saw ordinary people’s purchasing power collapse, Federal Reserve Chairman Marriner Eccles warned that excessive saving by the rich was draining demand and deepening the downturn.

Georgia’s drift from the West opens a strategic window for Armenia on Europe-Asia trade routes

South Caucasus' strategic value has risen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Georgia's importance is in question as relations with the West deteriorate, says OSW report.

SHEVCHENKO: Donornomics - €90bn for the war, but how much will be needed for peace?

The European Union has finalized a €90bn loan for Ukraine for 2026–2027. This is an important decision. But it should be read correctly. This is not money for Ukraine’s reconstruction. This is money for the war.

RAGOZIN: The Russia doomsday campaign

Stories predicting an imminent crisis in Russia do not reflect political, economic or battlefield reality.

Russian SME closures accelerate in 1Q26 as economy contracts

Closures among Russia’s small and medium-sized enterprises accelerated in the first quarter of 2026, after the economy contracted in the first quarter of this year in real terms and economic pressure on small companies mounts.

Russia leads Europe's skyscraper ranking

Russia accounts for 40 of the 50 tallest skyscrapers currently under construction in Europe, according to 2026 data published by World of Statistics.

Turkey hikes end-2026 official inflation forecast to 26% in war “shock environment”

Central bank also raises its average Brent oil expectation for 2026 to $89/barrel.

Hungary FX swap move sends forint lower as exporters warn of competitiveness squeeze

Decision to reduce maximum allowable swappoints increases the likelihood of earlier-than-expected interest rate cuts, potentially within months.

Romania’s industrial output shrinks by 2.8% q/q in Q1

Latest figures indicate a return to the longer-term downward trend in Romanian industry after a temporary rebound in 2025.

Albania weathers Middle East shock as hydropower shields economy from energy crisis

Central bank expects only "mild and transitory" impact from Middle East conflict on Albania's economy.

Slovenia’s SMEs battle labour shortages and rising costs as enterprise fund pushes green and digital shift

Multiple pressures are forcing companies to invest in automation, digitalisation and more sustainable business models to maintain competitiveness, says Slovenian Enterprise Fund.

COMMENT: The Oslo playbook returns to the Middle East

Norway has become the only NATO country still talking to Tehran. It is doing so for reasons that are partly diplomatic, partly mercantile, and with echos of the original Oslo accord of the 1990s.

Did Trump just sell the world in Beijing?

Trump's two-day Beijing summit was sold as stabilisation. From Riyadh to Warsaw and from Caracas to Astana, it has been read as something else: the spectacle of Washington and Beijing dividing up the world without the consent of those affected by it.

Crisis - and opportunity - in the Bangladeshi RMG sector

Bangladesh's textile sector stands at a cyclical low but structural opportunity peak. The current crisis, while severe, has created exceptional entry valuations for investors with the expertise and capital to execute complex turnarounds.

VISEGRAD BLOG: Hungary’s post-Orban reckoning

PM Peter Magyar pledged to dismantle the institutional and financial legacy of Viktor Orban’s 16-year rule, with implications beyond Hungary’s borders.

MOSCOW BLOG: Russia's social contract has broken down

Something has quietly shifted in Russia. Not the social and economic meltdown Western pundits have been confidently predicting almost continuously for the last two decades. But something has changed and the people are not happy.

BALKAN BLOG: Wave of Trump-linked Balkan investments sparks transparency concerns

Mega deals announced by Trump-linked companies brings up concerns over corruption and environmental impact similar to those raised over Chinese and Middle Eastern investments in the past.

MOSCOW BLOG: EU unblocks Ukrainian loan, twentieth sanctions package, as Kyiv builds a robot army

Phew. That was an effort. EU leaders met in Brussels yesterday and signed off on releasing the €90bn loan for Ukraine that will keep it in the fight with Russia for another two years. They also passed the twentieth sanctions package on Russia,

CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: There are those who swear Tokayev just auditioned for the UN top job

Rumours have swirled for months that Kazakhstan’s president wants to succeed Antonio Guterres. An appearance at an event in Turkey did his chances no harm at all.

Germany revamps its energy laws, but risks locking itself into decades of costly gas import dependence

Germany risks locking itself into decades of costly gas import dependence unless policymakers give battery storage equal treatment in upcoming power market reforms, energy think-tank Ember has warned.

Tehran water consumption hits 3bn litres a day as Iran braces for crisis summer

Daily water consumption in Tehran has reached nearly three billion litres before the start of summer, with reservoirs at just 22% of capacity, as Iran braces for an early heatwave amid post-conflict strain on infrastructure.

Bluesphere Ventures engages Stem to Model 1 GW of NYC battery storage

New York City anchored developer brings in the largest operator of storage software in the country to stress-test the economics of urban-sited storage at scale

Russia offers Indonesia full-spectrum nuclear cooperation package

Rosatom has said it is ready to offer Indonesia a comprehensive framework for developing its nuclear energy programme, spanning gigawatt-scale reactors, small modular units and floating nuclear power plants.

Norwegian companies mull €1bn hydrogen plant in Estonia

Hydrogen development across the Baltic states is accelerating as governments seek to reduce emissions, expand offshore wind capacity and cut dependence on Russian energy.