Features
"Managed democracy" wins the Moldovan elections
It appears that the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has won the general election in Moldova on September 28, but President Maia Sandu has taken a page out of the Kremlin's “managed democracy" playbook.
How East Asia, by way of BLACKPINK, BTS et al, has redefined global pop culture
While BTS rewrote the rules for boy bands, BLACKPINK reshaped girl group dynamics and have since taken the world by storm, routinely selling out stadiums across the US and Europe.
Mass food poisoning in Indonesia linked to government’s free meal programme
It was reported that between mid-August and mid-September alone, 978 students required hospital treatment for diarrhoea, vomiting, rashes, facial swelling, breathing problems, and headaches.
Indonesia’s World Bank debt and the price of a green transition
Indonesia is routinely listed among the World Bank’s largest borrowers, second only to India in some recent tallies, reflecting an outstanding balance with the Bank running into the tens of billions and placing Indonesia among the top 10 debtors
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Spymaster tells Istanbul audience MI6 forged relationship with Syria’s HTS in 2023
Over in New York, country’s president, ex-Al Qaeda man al-Sharaa, is interviewed on-stage by a former CIA chief.
Emerging market Tiger Cities power global growth prospects
Cities across the developing world are set to be among the fastest-growing urban economies in the next quarter century, according to Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025.
Hungary's Fidesz on the defensive after paedophile allegations against high-level government officials
Claims senior politicians could have shielded the director of Budapest-based juvenile correctional institution Szolo Street have the potential to become a "Hungarian Epstein case".
EU’s influence declines in its neighbourhood as China and Russia gain ground
Chinese presence growing in Western Balkans, while Russia makes gains in Turkey, shows new index developed by wiiw, Bertelsmann Stiftung and ECIPE.
_-_PD_1758849098.jpg)
Skull discovered in China may – or may not – rewrite human history
Questions are already being raised, with China having made at least half a dozen claims in recent years on much more recent historical issues that have little to no archaeological evidence to back them.
Indonesia pushes two-state solution, possible recognition of Israel at the UN
Addressing the High-Level Conference on Palestine and the Two-State Solution in New York, the Indonesian president delivered a stark condemnation of the violence in Gaza, framing Israel’s military campaign as genocidal.
Young Moldovans face uncertain future as pivotal election approaches
With a razor-thin margin between pro-EU PAS and pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, voters expect Moldova's general election to be a battle for the country’s future.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
Trump administration intensifies pressure on Iraq to cut ties with Iran
The US has ramped up a series of behind-the-scenes pressure tactics on Iraq aimed at reducing Iranian influence across key sectors.
COMMENT: China trumps Trump on soy
Beijing has used a third party – Argentina - as a bit-player of sorts with which to score points.
Pakistan’s agricultural sector and food security hit hard by flooding
Pakistan is grappling with the most severe flooding in over four decades in parts of Punjab, its agricultural heartland, with far-reaching consequences for food production, rural livelihoods, and the country’s export earnings
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
How India sees the Pakistan-Saudi defence pact
While the practicality of the pact is doubted in New Delhi’s policy circles, it adds a fresh layer of complexity to South Asia’s security environment and creates potential ripple effects across the Middle East and the Indian Ocean region.
Why India tops the World Bank debtors list in 2025
Through decades of external borrowing, fiscal crises and ambitious development programmes, India has emerged as a case study of both regional vulnerability and the complex promise of sustainable growth.
EU launches red-tape cutting reforms seeking to make Europe competitive again
Brussels will start cutting red tape with the so-called omnibus legislation this autumn as it sets out to make Europe competitive again, Politico reported on September 17.
Uzbekistan probing export options
Tashkent is finding there’s no easy path to the sea.