Features
INTERVIEW: From cinema to Serbian police cell in one unlucky “take”
An Italian software engineer caught in Belgrade’s August protests recounts a night of mistaken arrest and police violence in the city’s tense political climate.
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Turkey breaks ground on its section of the TRIPP rail corridor
Turkish project would help make TRIPP the go-to route for Middle Corridor freight.
Disastrous harvest gives bitter taste of food inflation in North Macedonia
Cash-strapped shoppers tell bne IntelliNews’ Skopje correspondent that preparing ajvar and other traditional winter preserves is becoming prohibitively expensive.
China takes Russian oil shipments usually bound for India amid shifting trade flows
At its peak, Russia was India’s largest single supplier of crude, commanding a 36% share of the market. In 2024 alone, New Delhi imported $53bn worth of oil and crude products from Russia.
Russia’s economic problems are getting worse
Russia’s economic problems are getting worse. The economy narrowly avoided a recession in the first half of the year and the 2.2% forecast budget deficit is looking increasingly unrealistic as growth slides towards zero.
Putin says Russia and US discuss joint energy projects in Alaska, Arctic
US President Donald Trump let more deadlines to impose crushing sanctions and tariffs on Russia to end the war in Ukraine slide yet again. The reason might be that he is still hoping to sign off on multi-billion-dollar business deals with the Kremlin
Ukraine’s defence industry could triple its capacity, if Europe provides the contracts
Ukraine’s defence factories could triple their current output tomorrow. The technology is ready, the workers are trained, the production lines are in place. What is missing is money.
Russia’s car industry stalls under weight of Chinese dominance and structural decline
The Russian automotive sector is showing signs of systemic failure. After a brief post-crisis rebound in 2023 (+69%) and 2024 (+48%), the market has sharply reversed course in 2025, revealing deep-rooted vulnerabilities that go beyond a slowdown.
Controversy over exorbitant housing allowances: Indonesian parliament's clarification proves nothing
As inequality persists and trust in institutions remains fragile, spending billions on allowances risks exacerbating the rift between political elites and the citizens they represent.
Serbia reportedly seeks foreign workers for Stellantis plant
Serbia is looking to bring in foreign workers from Nepal and Morocco to support operations at the Stellantis car factory in Kragujevac, amid labour shortages and limited local interest in factory jobs.
Are Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles really made in Ukraine?
Secret factory A camera crew from Associated Press was granted access to the Fire Point factory at an undisclosed location inside Ukraine to witness the production of Ukraine’s new Flamingo cruise missile.
Is India being forced closer to China and other BRICS nations by US tarrifs?
According to a new report, bilateral trade grew from $17bn in 2005 to nearly $120bn by 2024, with China becoming India’s largest trading partner and the trade deficit swelling to almost $100bn.
Chinese President Xi Jinping makes rare visit to Tibet
China’s President Xi Jinping has made an unannounced trip to Tibet, where he presided over a mass gathering in Lhasa to mark six decades since Beijing established the autonomous region.
Western Balkans gradually gaining on EU economies, but Ukraine falls further behind
Bruegel study finds all candidates and potential candidates except Ukraine have converged somewhat towards the EU average in GDP per capita terms.
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The Philippines pushes back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea
Recent incidents, from naval collisions to dangerous aerial interceptions, illustrate the fraught nature of the region, and reveal the Philippines’ evolving strategy to defend its maritime rights.
South Korean exports under pressure from expanding US trade barriers
South Korea, one of the world’s most export-dependent economies, is entering a turbulent period as protectionist measures from the United States intensify.
How is Thailand’s latest political maelstrom affecting the monarchy?
Thailand’s monarchy remains the country’s most sacrosanct and enduring institution, buttressed by draconian lèse-majesté laws and the concept of the “network monarchy” - a web of royal proxies and conservative institutions.
More than 300,000 Syrians may have gone missing under Assad's rule, new investigations reveal
Syria's National Authority for the Missing estimates up to 300,000 people disappeared under Assad rule from 1970 onwards, with 63 documented mass graves mapped across the country.
Ukraine goes into production of Flamingo ICBM
Flamingo is part of Ukraine's broader push to develop independent strike capabilities, as it has been sorely lacking in missiles that can strike targets deep in Russia’s hinterland.
Turkey lavishes further fortunes on city hospital contractors
Officials ensure “custom” for giant complexes by shutting down more convenient local state facilities.