Features
PANNIER: Who’s killing Chinese workers on the Afghan-Tajik frontier?
Beijing, among others, wants answers.
LONG READ: De-dollarisation gathering momentum, driven by geopolitics and ballooning debt fears
De-dollarisation is gathering momentum, but the process of switching to settling global trade in multiple currencies is going at a glacial pace. The problem is that once glaciers start moving, they are impossible to stop.
Stopping dog meat sales in Indonesia is more about shuffling paperwork than morality
Just outside Jakarta’s regulatory lens, a viral video circulated in late 2025 showing dogs packed into sacks in an alleged dog meat supply chain in Bantul, Yogyakarta, sparking public outrage and new regional commitments.
Surging US and Russian LNG exports push gas prices to 18-month low
LNG prices in Europe have dropped to their lowest levels in 18 months, thanks to surging supply and subdued demand across the continent.
Poland emerges as regional gas hub on record 2025 transmission volumes
Poland is emerging as a regional gas hub after setting a new record for natural gas transmission in 2025. Gaz-System, the state-owned transmission system operator, is on track to deliver a record 20bcm this year.
IntelliNews Lambda: Europe’s gas storage is back to normal
LNG prices in Europe have dropped to their lowest levels in 18 months, thanks to surging supply and subdued demand across the continent. That has led to comfortably full gas tanks and the lowest deviation from the baseline in 15 years.
Public confidence in South Korean economy hits highest level since 2017
South Korea's consumer sentiment experienced a significant uplift in November, reflecting greater public optimism about the nation's economic trajectory. This positive shift led the key confidence index to its highest reading in eight years.
INTERVIEW: Cash Plus leads Kosovo’s shift to fully digital finance
Cash Plus, a fully digital lending platform, is among the countries pushing forward Kosovo's young but expanding fintech sector.
South Korea’s corporate giants shift focus to domestic investment
The Korea‑US framework establishes $200bn in cash direct equity investment, with an annual cap of $20bn for at least 10 years, paid in stepwise installments according to milestones. The US will lead investment destination decisions.
Towards a cashless Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s transition toward a cashless economy presents what the Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) describes as a dual reality, marked by both clear opportunity and persistent structural constraints.
Russian middle-class investors have $14bn of frozen stocks abroad
Millions of Russian citizens who invested in foreign stocks and bonds before the war in Ukraine remain locked out of their assets, three years after sweeping Western sanctions froze Russian-linked holdings across global financial markets.
Georgia leads South Caucasus for banking and investment, but Armenia is rising star
New index from GlobalSource Partners compares the banking sectors and business environments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Baku pushes Middle Corridor and North-South projects at CIS railway summit
Azerbaijan Railways head says works on North-South corridor are reinforcing Azerbaijan’s position as a strategic link between northern and southern trade flows.
China's latest anti-India move focuses on transit travellers
China’s refusal to acknowledge the validity of an Indian passport held by a UK-based Arunachal Pradesh born traveller illustrates a widening pattern in which Beijing links territorial claims to the movement of ordinary Indian citizens.
_261125_1764168864.jpg)
Kazakhstan's critical minerals ambitions may still be a distant dream
So much remains mere speculation.
Ancient city of poets, scholars and dreamers breathes again with the Bukhara Biennial
Among event's most compelling stories was the journey of a humble space for prayer and contemplation.
Demographic shifts threaten long-term growth in Emerging Europe, EBRD warns
Economies are "getting old before they get rich” as labour shortages, rising pension costs and declining working-age populations take their toll on region.
COMMENT: Xi’s call to Trump smacks of a leader whose bark is worse than his bite
That Japan’s Takaichi – a known fan of Britain’s Iron Lady of the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s, Margaret Thatcher – has refused to bend, break or back down under a barrage of Chinese abuse speaks volumes.
Iran-US talks back on the table?
Diplomatic activity involving Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and US reignites speculation about resumed Tehran-Washington dialogue. Iranian FM visits Muscat whilst President Pezeshkian sends letter to Saudi king interpreted as discreet overture.
INTERVIEW: Ukraine’s "cheap, fast and brutally effective” innovation positioning it as European defence hub
Ukraine has become a centre for defence and dual-use technological innovation since the start of the war with Russia, Maria Repko of Kyiv-based think-tank CES tells bne IntelliNews.