Features
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Prosecutors make move on “fictitious export schemes” of Istanbul Gold Refinery
Observers point to intra-regime gangs seizing each other’s wealth, remember Erdogan’s “Hello Fatih” phone calls and ponder whether wanted man Turgay Ciner is in London.
Taliban visit to India upsets Pakistan, signals New Delhi's changing Afghan posture
Coinciding with the visit, Pakistan conducted military operations inside Afghanistan, followed by airstrikes on multiple border towns. Retaliation against Pakistan's police training facilities and border outposts followed.
Pakistan’s India-shaped chip on the shoulder, and why a peaceful coexistence is as elusive as ever
Pakistan must first redefine how it sees India - not solely as a threat to be contained but as a neighbour with whom coexistence is unavoidable. That psychological leap has eluded generations of Pakistani leaders.
Trump shocked by China’s move on rare earths, threatens more 100% tariffs
"Some very strange things are happening in China!" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account on October 10, adding "They are becoming very hostile."
Ore wars – and the US dollar’s waning influence
Iron ore underpins almost all modern industrial economies; it is the raw material from which steel is forged, and China remains its dominant consumer.
State control rattles Indonesia’s fuel market
Indonesia’s tighter control on private fuel imports has sparked debate over how far the government should go to protect its domestic energy market and ensure national energy sovereignty.
India is not looking to dethrone the US dollar
The Reserve Bank of India, is reducing its US dollar exposure, repatriating gold from overseas vaults, and strengthening domestic control of its bullion reserves.
Singapore is now Asia's tech-job powerhouse
Singapore’s emergence as a tech hub is no accident. Over the past decade, the government has rolled out multiple targeted initiatives to accelerate digital adoption.
Kosovo’s former president Thaçi fights for his freedom in The Hague
Ongoing war crimes trial of top former KLA leaders will shape the contested memory of Kosovo's war of independence and define its standing abroad.
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How Central Asia came to love the Chinese electric vehicle invasion
Resistance would be futile – and expensive. The region has flung its doors open to the likes of BYD.
Bangladesh’s coming political reset
Tarique Rahman’s announcement of his imminent return to Bangladesh has overnight redefined the country’s political narrative after nearly two decades of exile.
Japan’s new ‘Iron Lady’ Sanae Takaichi – a win for Taiwan, a slap in the face for China
Galling to China, Takaichi is said to be a regular visitor to Yasukuni Shrine, which, given its enshrinement of Japan’s war dead, including a number of convicted war criminals, is seen as a political slap in the face by Beijing.
Malaysia’s fuel recalibration: balancing fiscal discipline and public relief
In late September 2025, the Malaysian government unveiled a recalibrated approach to its long-running petrol subsidy, lowering the price of RON95 for citizens to $0.47 per litre.
Did Tokayev’s visit to New York indicate any meaningful expansion of Kazakh-American economic ties?
Best not believe the hype.
Water scarcity forces a rethink of Tehran's dominance
Iran is fast running out of water fast and the country's president wants to move the capital immediately.
LONG READ: Trade is the glue that holds Global Emerging Markets Institutions together
The world order is changing. The emerging markets are coming of age and they are setting up a raft of largely non-Western Global Emerging Markets Institutions (GEMIs) to coordinate their lives. Trade is the glue that binds them together.
Trump tariffs to dent revenue of Indian home textile industry by 5–10%
India’s home textile industry is bracing for one of its most challenging years, after the United States imposed steep tariffs of 50% on a broad set of Indian exports with effect from August 27
LONG READ: The GEMIs, the Global Emerging Markets' interlocking institutions
The international order is breaking up as the Global Emerging Markets build a raft of new non-Western interlocking international institutions to run their vision of a new multipolar world order.
Slovenia confronts its ageing challenge with contested pension reform
As Slovenia’s population ages, the overhaul of the pension system is becoming one of its defining political struggles of the decade.
PANNIER: Quarrelling neighbours – the Taliban and Tajikistan
Sabre-rattling not infrequent, but there just might be signs of easing tensions.