Features

Dutch retailer Spar's Iran operations implicated in sanctions evasion scheme

bne Gulf bureau December 23, 2024

Dutch supermarket chain Spar's Iranian operation has been implicated in an elaborate sanctions evasion scheme involving members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Asia’s shipbuilding renaissance: record orders and rising prices

bno - Taipei Office December 23, 2024

Asia has been the centre of shipbuilding for decades thanks to its geographical and strategic location and the capital and labour-intensive nature of the industry.

PODCAST: Emerging Global's Mathew Cohen talks with Ruthie Blum

bnm Tel Aviv bureau December 22, 2024

In a conversation with bne IntelliNews, Ruthie Blum, former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), offers unique perspectives on Israel's current challenges.

Romanian liberals orchestrated Georgescu campaign funding, investigation reveals

Denis Cenusa in Berlin December 22, 2024

Russia was accused of interfering in Romania’s presidential election November 24 presidential election that saw far-right and pro-Russian outsider Calin Georgescu storm to a shock first round victory. An investigation found otherwise.

Turkey, Syria tandem could mean piped Qatari gas for Europe and a supercharged Middle East clean energy transition

bne IntelliNews December 21, 2024

Prize could be huge for Ankara and Damascus if the Syrian fighting is really over.

PROFILE: Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili

Liza Zhvania in Tbilisi December 21, 2024

Zourabichvili has emerged as an unexpected leader of the protest movement against the ruling Georgian Dream party.

PANNIER: Why the Turkmenistan, Iran gas “friendship” is back on

Bruce Pannier December 20, 2024

In tough struggle to find new export markets, Turkmen even agree to Iranian contractors building infrastructure in tightly controlled Central Asian country.

Russia’s arms exports slump, Kremlin preparing for possible war with Nato

Ben Aris in Berlin December 20, 2024

Russian arms exports have plummeted by 92% since 2021, according to defence policy expert Pavel Luzin, as the Kremlin redirects all its military production to supplying the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia reaps harvest of chaos in nearby democracies

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow December 19, 2024

Allegations of interference surround recent elections in Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova and Romania.

International highway tears through Bosnia’s rural heartlands

Aidą Kadyrzhanova in Bosnia December 19, 2024

Corridor Vc has been portrayed as a panacea for Bosnia’s economic woes, but local residents say it threatens their hard-won peace and prosperity.

Russia's political repressions intensify in 2024

bne IntelliNews December 19, 2024

Political repression continued in Russia in 2024, as “justification of terrorism” overtook “discrediting the Russian army” as the most prosecuted “crime,” according to a detailed report by Russian civil rights groups.

Fukushima's forgotten victims as Japan shifts back to nuclear power

bno - Tokyo Office December 19, 2024

A controversial shift in Japan's energy policy has sparked outrage among those still reeling from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

FDI in Emerging Europe hit by geopolitical uncertainty and German slowdown

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow December 18, 2024

wiiw report warns lower investment trend could continue as Central and Eastern Europe's role as a production hub for Western companies is waning.

Balancing growth and sustainability: Southeast Asia’s energy dilemma

Maryam Azish for bno Taipei Office December 17, 2024

With its rapidly growing economies, booming populations, and increasing urbanisation, Southeast Asia is witnessing a tremendous surge in energy demand

More help needed for Ukraine’s ravaged energy sector

Newsbase December 16, 2024

A multi-million-euro fund launched by Ukraine’s European allies to help the war-ravaged energy sector is running low on cash as power providers struggle to keep the lights on this winter.

Bureks vs. Big Macs

bne IntelliNews December 15, 2024


International fast-food chains are expanding in the Western Balkans, but can they rival local offerings on taste or price?

COMMENT: Will the US exit Syria, return its oil fields?

bnm Gulf bureau December 15, 2024

The United States is now confronting a complex decision about its military presence in the country's oil-rich northeast.

Uzbekistan’s universities claim places in prestigious rankings for first time

Mokhi Sultanova in Tashkent December 15, 2024

Enrollment in country’s higher education system has surged from 9% in 2016 to 38%, or 1.3mn students, this year.

How Assad turned Syria into a narco-state

By Josiane Hajj Moussa for bne Beirut bureau December 14, 2024

A video circulating on social media this week shows a warehouse in Syria filled with Captagon. This highly addictive amphetamine-based drug has transformed the country into a narco-state under the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.

COMMENT: Could Iran open new fronts against Israel and Azerbaijan?

Fuad Shahbazov in Durham December 14, 2024

Hikmat Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, met with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Jerusalem on December 9. in what could be a historic meeting.

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