Features
Ukraine's costly return to gas imports
Russian attacks against Ukraine’s natural gas production facilities have precipitated yet another energy security crisis for the beleaguered country.
Measuring impact of US tariffs on Central Asia and South Caucasus
Little near-term pain, but lots of uncertainty about future.
UKRAINE REMONT: The battle to build: signs of recovery in Ukraine's construction industry
Ukraine’s construction industry is resilient as it gears up for the restoration of the country’s decimated housing and infrastructure. But the sector has a mountain to climb as it contends with ongoing war and shortages of material and labour.
Russia to capitalise on Africa’s growing energy demand
Russia has been intensifying its efforts to strengthen energy partnerships with African countries, indicating a broader strategy to enhance its geopolitical influence across the continent.
Trump is an amateur, and his maths mistakes mean his tariffs four times too high
President Trump’s Liberation Day tariff formula makes no economic sense and includes some basic mathematical errors that means the tariff rates are four times higher than they should be, according to several economic experts.
EU joins ‘Klondike’ rush for Central Asia critical minerals as bloc and region upgrade relations
Kazakhstan boasts 19 out of 34 types of critical raw materials seen as essential to EU economy, while the five 'stans' have 40% of the world’s reserves of manganese.
Is South Korea’s political turmoil being underwritten by Beijing?
With Japan, South Korea and China working closer than ever to address US tariffs on three of the world’s leading economies, anti-American agents in Asia are undoubtedly working behind the scenes to further reshape the regional balance of power.
Jury remains out on Tokayev’s “de-oligarchisation” of Kazakhstan
Government talks of having recovered ill-gotten gains amounting to a few billion dollars. Sceptics think it should have a few billion more to boast about by now.
Romanian geothermal expert Green Tech International has dual listing in sight after Bucharest IPO
Company aims to triple its active geothermal capacity, double installed capacity to 1 GWt by 2028 and expand into downstream business lines, COO Dragoș Gavriluță tells bne IntelliNews.
Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs will accelerate BRICS bloc trade cooperation
BRICS avowedly seeks to challenge Western-dominated institutions of global economic governance, as well as to displace the US dollar from its entrenched role in the world economy. Its job just got easier thanks to Trump.
US tariffs could undermine Viktor Orban's dream of golden economic era with US
Hungary's heavily export-oriented, manufacturing-driven economy is among the more vulnerable EU member states in the transatlantic trade war, according to analysts.
The rise of war-hardened Balkan crime groups in South America’s cocaine market
Global Initiative report reveals organised crime groups from the Western Balkans have firmly embedded themselves in South America’s cocaine trade.
COMMENT: EU’s foreign policy chief Kallas’ releases a white paper on European Defence sector plans
EU foreign policy chief and former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas recently unveiled a controversial White Paper on the “Future of European Defence: Readiness 2030”, but it received a very mixed reception from EU member states.
EU-Central Asia: Preparing for first-of-its-kind summit aimed at bolstering trade
Caution evident in build-up to gathering.
INTERVIEW: "It's risky to invest in Ukraine now. But it's more risky not to invest" – AmCham Ukraine
An interview with the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine
Russian household well-being reaches highest level in a decade – BOFIT
The well-being of Russian households has reached its highest level in a decade, a survey carried out by the Bank of Finland institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT) found.
Indonesians push back as military enters civilian government
Student groups protested outside the Blitar DPRD office under a heavy police presence, demanding the law’s repeal and calling for press freedom. Activists pointed to past instances of media suppression, warning about potential threats to journalists
Revolution, resistance and regime collapse in Damascus
The end of the 54-year rule of Syria’s Assad regime came so quickly that many refused to believe it.
Democracy nosedives as authoritarian grip tightens on Georgia
Brutal police crackdowns on pro-EU street protesters have given way to a targeted campaign of repression seemingly intent on throttling every dimension of the Georgian civil resistance movement.
Putin’s upcoming India visit indicates deeper ties despite global shifts
Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to visit India in the near future, marking his first trip to the South Asian nation since December 2021