Features
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is coming of age
More than two and half decades after it was founded as a regional security organization to secure porous borders in the depths of Central Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is coming of age as it expands its reach and agenda.
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Taiwan’s deadly mix of drivers and pedestrians
Taiwan’s road deaths are higher than the number of those lost in the 9-11 attacks each year – or around the same number as are killed on the island in drowning incidents, fires, and workplace accidents, combined, and then multiplied by six.
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Acquisitive arm of Turkish regime takes over ammunition maker Assan
Gulenism and espionage charges cited. TMSF now manages 858 companies.
How soft power is becoming Taiwan’s sharpest weapon
Taiwan’s humanitarian instinct was most visible during the COVID pandemic when over 54mn masks were shipped to more than 80 countries worldwide, but at the 2025, and 78th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Taiwan was largely excluded.
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Murder-suicide attempt in Tajikistan draws attention to domestic violence, mental health issues
US funding cuts make it harder to close gaps.
Indonesia’s August protests and what lies behind them
Large demonstrations have gripped Jakarta and other cities this week, with the most visible flashpoints outside the national parliament and around the State Palace.
A look at the Indian industries hardest hit by US tariffs
India has emerged as one of the hardest hit nations under fresh tariff measures imposed by the United States, with Indian exports to its largest single market now facing duties of up to 50%.
Deathonomics: Russia’s war in Ukraine creates a new kind of middle class
Deathonomics: Russia’s war in Ukraine creates a new kind of middle class Some economists have dubbed it “deathonomics”. Russia’s heavy military spending is transforming income profiles. The trouble is you might be dead at the end of it.
INTERVIEW: How tiny Slovenia’s equity market outpaced global peers
InterCapital’s Divo Pulitika analyses why Slovenia and Romania have quietly delivered some of the best equity market returns in the world over the past decade — and whether this can continue.
South Korea, the US come together on nuclear deals
South Korean and US companies have signed agreements to advance nuclear energy projects, aiming to meet rising data centre power demands, support AI growth, and strengthen the US nuclear fuel supply chain.
World Bank seems to be having second thoughts about Tajikistan’s Rogun Dam
Ball now in Dushanbe’s court to justify high cost.
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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.