Features
The man who sank Iran's Ayandeh Bank
Ali Ansari built an empire from steel pipes to Iran's largest shopping centre before his bank collapsed with $503mn in losses, operating what regulators described as a Ponzi scheme that poisoned Iran's banking sector.
Andaman gas find signals fresh momentum in India’s deepwater exploration
India’s latest gas discovery in the under-explored Andaman-Nicobar Basin could become a turning point for the country’s domestic upstream production and energy security
The fall of Azerbaijan's Grey Cardinal
Ramiz Mehdiyev served as Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration head for 24 consecutive years, making him arguably the most powerful unelected official in post-Soviet Azerbaijan until his dramatic fall from grace.
Ambition, access and acceleration – Uzbekistan’s Startup Garage opens free academy for entrepreneurship
Aim is to train 50,000 young founders by 2030.
Ukraine’s growing energy crisis promises a cold and dark winter
Since the summer, Kyiv has changed tactics. Given the almost complete failure of Western oil sanctions to curb Russian oil exports, it has been targeting Russian oil refineries. The Kremlin has struck back, targeting Ukraine's power system.
Russia, China sign off on Northern Route shipping deal to slash global freight times
Russia and China have signed a landmark agreement to develop and commercialise the Northern Sea Route (NSR), after Beijing tested the route last month, that could slash Europe-Asia cargo transit times and challenge the primacy of the Suez Canal.
Sri Lanka’s economic escape
Sri Lanka’s recovery over the past year reads like a narrow escape rendered into a cautious, albeit unfinished success story.
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Investigators feel collar of former Turkish central bank deputy governor
Regime gangs continue to hustle for gains. Some Erdoganist businessmen among the losers.
Journalist beaten to death in Istanbul as security conditions in Turkey rapidly deteriorate
Publisher, meanwhile, is shot in leg. Reporters regularly experience violence, judicial harassment and media lynching.
Agentic AI becomes South Korea’s next big tech battleground
As countries race to define their roles in the AI era, South Korea's tech giants are now embracing “agentic AI”, a next-generation form of AI that acts autonomously to complete goals, not just respond to commands.
Iran's capital Tehran showcases new "Virgin Mary" Metro station
Tehran's new Maryam metro station honours Virgin Mary with architecture blending Armenian and Iranian design elements in new push by Islamic Republic
Indonesia’s $80bn giant seawall
Indonesia’s ambition to build a colossal seawall along the northern coastline of Java has ignited both hope and heated debate. Valued at around $80bn, the project aims to safeguard the island’s coastal cities from tidal floods and erosion.
The Asian nations backing the Russian war effort – from India to Taiwan, China to Indonesia
While many Asian nations have quietly distanced themselves from Moscow in a bid to fall into line with US or European allies, several continue to engage with Russia, providing varying degrees of support that help sustain its military campaign.
The EU needs to change to stay geopolitically relevant
Leading EU figures are pushing for the unanimity rule used to make important decisions to be dropped to enable faster enlargement — one of the bloc’s main tools for geopolitical influence.
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.