Features
Ukraine’s two biggest EU export-earners of corn and metals falling in 2025 as tariff-free deal set to expire
The exports of two of Ukraine’s biggest export earners, corn and metal, are falling, which will squeeze the already cash strapped government and make a €20bn trade deficit with the EU worse in 2025.
Iraq secures return of three rare ancient artefacts from New York
The Embassy of Iraq in Washington announced the recovery of three rare artefacts from New York, marking another step in the country's efforts to protect its cultural heritage.
Poland’s WIG index climbs 28.6% in 2025 on Ukraine peace hopes and economic stability
The Warsaw Stock Exchange’s (WSE) benchmark WIG index has gained 28.6% since the beginning of 2025, outperforming major global markets amid investor optimism over a potential peace settlement in Ukraine.
Vietnam rising - the future powerhouse of Southeast Asia
Looking ahead to the next 50 years, there is strong reason to believe that Vietnam will not just keep pace with Southeast Asia's leading economies – it may well outstrip most of them in influence and innovation.
Lee VS Kim; a look at South Korea’s leading presidential candidates on foreign policy issues
Whichever way it goes, the result of the presidential election in Korea will play a crucial role in shaping both South Korea and the wider East Asia region’s geopolitical landscape for the foreseeable future.
LONG READ: Wanderlust wins: Russia’s travel boom defies the times
Russia’s $50bn+ tourism industry has been one unexpected beneficiary of the war in Ukraine.
COMMENT: Vying for influence in Southeast Asia – Russia VS America
Although both nations have engaged with the region historically and continue to do so in the present day, their roles, influence, and staying power differ markedly.
Thailand: Southeast Asia’s sleeping tiger
While countries like Indonesia and Vietnam stride forward, Thailand seems to be treading water, encumbered by internal strife, inconsistent foreign policy, and economic inertia.
Russia pushes to grow its influence in Africa’s nuclear future
Russia, under sanctions from the West over the war in Ukraine, is using nuclear partnerships to grow its influence in Africa.
Viktor Orban makes huge political misstep in supporting Simion, Hungarian analyst says
The outcome has been a defeat for Viktor Orban as ethnic Hungarians overwhelmingly supported the pro-European candidate, Nicusor Dan.
COMMENT: Arabs Inc: The Gulf's grand economic gambit
A significant development has been taking shape: the emergence of an Arab economic bloc with ambitions extending far beyond traditional resource-based cooperation.
China filling void left by USAID’s dismantling
Small and Beautiful marks next phase of Belt & Road Initiative.
COMMENT: The West keeps betting against Japan – and keeps getting it wrong
The West keeps betting against Japan because it doesn’t play by Western rules of visibility, disruption and hype. It forgets that resilience doesn’t always look like growth charts or come in the form of venture capital buzzwords.
Could BRICS redefine Asia’s power balance?
For Asian countries outside the current BRICS framework, the stakes are high. Membership could mean enhanced access to financial resources, a larger voice in global institutions, and strengthened ties with emerging powers.
COMMENT: Europe must choose either to accept 15% of Russian gas supplies or zero
The European Commission on May 6 unveiled a brief roadmap outlining how it plans to achieve the EU objective of eliminating all remaining Russian energy imports by 2027.
United States has image problem in Central Asia
Public perceptions toward Washington rapidly swing from positive to negative.
Nissan’s global retrenchment: factories close, jobs lost
The seeds of Nissan’s current predicament were sown back in fiscal year 2019. The company’s global vehicle sales fell by over 10% to just under 5mn units, with major slowdowns across critical markets.
EBRD2025: African tech is flourishing, but it still has a long way to go
Africa benefits from an incredibly young, tech savvy population; over 60% of the population is under 25 years old and in just Senegal the average age of the population is a mere 19 years old. That makes it a hotbed for tech development.
Slow Kazakhification of Russianised lands falls flat in Kazakhstan’s north
“We're moving poor people who are unemployed, to regions where they'll be poor,” says sociologist.
EBRD2025: Ukraine prepares for peace by getting ready for war
“We keep struggling, but we are strong and now we are stronger than we were in 2022, but of course we have suffered a lot,” said Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko at a high-level panel on Ukraine.