NEO: Why pick-up points for online orders are gaining popularity vs. home delivery
First sighting of Belarusian jailed opposition leader Viktor Babariko in two years
Russia, Belarus make first cross-border digital financial asset transactions
Belarus tests new BUK missile system as a low-key arms race in Eastern Europe gathers momentum
RuNet sees its second big outage since January
MOSCOW BLOG: Russia's looming credit crisis
#BREAKING: Czechia wraps up work on pipeline expansion to end reliance on Russian oil
COMMENT: Gulf states court Russia but stop short of strategic shift
New US oil sanctions, attack on Turkstream shake up global energy markets
Russia’s war machine fed by free-flowing exports of Uzbek “guncotton” pulp, say reports
airBaltic CEO and IPO under pressure after flight cancellations
COMMENT: The EU’s Green Deal is a “policy disaster”
Damage of key infrastructure on the seabed of the Baltic raises security concerns, calls for Nato involvement
Telia willing to sell its Latvian operations back to government if price is right
Czech industry falls by 2.7% y/y in November in another disappointing performance
EBRD delivers 26% expansion in investments in 2024, commits record €16.6bn across economies
Czech police request parliament strip far-right leader of immunity
China's Xinzhi creates 900 jobs with €120mn investment in Hungary
Hungary's industry mired in recession in November as October bounce proves one-off
German electricity prices highest in Europe, 70% above the European average, with Hungary's the lowest
US sanctions key Orban ally for corruption
Poland says Netanyahu can come for Auschwitz anniversary despite ICC warrant
EU presidency passes from Putin-whispering Hungary to hawkish Poland
Polish manufacturers go deeper in downturn mode in December
#UPDATED: Slovakia’s populist PM Fico faces no-confidence motion
Slovakia’s Fico steps up anti-Ukraine rhetoric over gas cut-off
Absent Slovak premier traced to luxury hotel in Vietnam
Slovakia faces cut-off of Russian gas pipeline supplies
The EU Council calls for a European geothermal action plan
FDI in Emerging Europe hit by geopolitical uncertainty and German slowdown
Slovenia sets up emergency alert system after devastating floods
BALKAN BLOG: Trump’s annexation remarks risk reigniting Balkan border disputes
Italy eyes restart of Albania migrant processing scheme despite legal hurdles
Albania imposes one-year TikTok ban
Athens conditions support for Albania’s EU accession on protection for Greek minority
BALKAN BLOG: Mass shootings become a powerful impetus for protest in the Western Balkans
BALKAN BLOG: What Grenell’s return means for US diplomacy in the Balkans
Inspired by Trump, Bulgarian far-right leader wants to annex North Macedonia and parts of Ukraine
Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas reportedly bids for Lukoil’s Bulgarian asset
Greeks cross border for cheap clothes, food and fuel after Bulgaria enters Schengen zone
Koncar fuels record surge on Zagreb Stock Exchange
Croatia’s incumbent President Milanovic wins landslide re-election
President Milanovic poised for landslide re-election in Croatia
Pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign reportedly targeted Croatian presidential election
Nato chief warns of destabilisation risk around Kosovo's February general election
Kosovo’s authorities shut down Serbian tax office in North Mitrovica
BALKAN BLOG: Giving free energy to Transnistria could thwart Russia’s plans for Moldova
Energy crisis in Moldova’s separatist Transnistria escalates
Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region opts for self-imposed energy blockade
Thousands of Montenegrins demand resignation of ministers after Cetinje shooting
Gunman kills 12 in Montenegro mass shooting
North Macedonia's central bank lowers key interest rate by 0.25 pp to 5.55%
Inflation returns to above 5% y/y at end-2024 in Romania
Net FDI in Romania dips in 2024
Romania’s political deadlock deepens as nationalists rise
Putin-Trump summit planned — but where will it happen?
Serbia plans to buy out Russian stake in NIS following US sanctions
TurkStream is now the only route for Russian gas to Europe
Turkish issuers sell record $33bn of eurobonds in 2024
Russia’s Rosatom plans legal action over non-delivery of Siemens Energy parts for Turkey’s first nuclear plant
34 companies raise 60bn lira via Istanbul IPOs in 2024
PANNIER: Tajikistan, Taliban tone down the hostile rhetoric
Central Asia emerges as new e-commerce hub
Growing Islamic finance in Central Asia to unlock GCC investment
CSTO states express serious concern over terrorist threat in Afghanistan
Armenian prime minister discusses EU membership plans with European Council president
OUTLOOK: Caucasus 2025
Armenia approves EU membership bid further straining ties with Russia
Former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan faces life in prison
Gas exports to Europe to boost Azerbaijan's growth over next decade
Azerbaijan’s Aliyev sees potential alignment with Trump, criticises Biden administration
Georgians still resisting: the view from Rustaveli
Georgian Dream MPs attack Georgian citizen in Abu Dhabi restaurant
Georgia’s once vibrant theatres fall silent
Kazakh services conclude 2024 with marginal drop in activity, PMI shows
OUTLOOK: Kazakhstan 2025
Central Asian leaders look to expand mutual trade
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway officially launched, but sidetracked at least until summer
Smog back with a vengeance in Ulaanbaatar
EBRD warns of risks for emerging markets pursuing industrial policies
Hit indirectly by sanctions, Mongolia struggles to find workarounds
PANNIER: Why the Turkmenistan, Iran gas “friendship” is back on
OUTLOOK Uzbekistan 2025
Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after explosion
Russia's budget oil breakeven price world’s second lowest as oil revenues recover
Southeast European countries look to Algeria to diversify energy supplies
Slovenia turns back to Algerian gas after flirtation with Russian supplies
IEA: Access to energy improving worldwide, driven by renewables
The hurricane season in 2024 was weird
Global warming will increase crop yields in Global North, but reduce them in Global South
Hundreds of millions on verge of starvation, billions more undernourished as Climate Crisis droughts take their toll
Global access to energy starts to fall for the first time in a decade, says IEA
Saudi Arabia hosts kingdom's first Africa summit, to boost ties, promote stability
Putin at 2023 Africa-Russia summit: Wiping debts, donating grain and boosting co-operation
Botswana throws the diamond industry a lifeline
Nelson Mandela worried about natural diamonds, Leonardo di Caprio defended them, makers of lab-grown stones demonise them
Botswana’s 2,492-carat diamond discovery is golden opportunity to replicate legendary Jonker diamond's global legacy
Kamikaze marketing: how the natural diamond industry could have reacted to the lab-grown threat
Russia’s Rosatom to support nuclear projects across Africa at AEW2024
JPMorgan, Chase and HSBC reportedly unwittingly processed payments for Wagner warlord Prigozhin
Burkina Faso the latest African country to enter nuclear power plant construction talks with Russia
IMF: China’s slowdown will hit sub-Saharan growth
Moscow unlikely to give up Niger toehold as threat of ECOWAS military action looms
Overcoming insecurity to unlock the Central African Republic’s mineral riches
Russia funding war in Ukraine via illegal gold mining in Africa – WGC report
Rain, rain go away
Africa, Asia most people living in extreme poverty
10 African countries to experience world’s fastest population growth to 2100
EM winners and losers from the global green transformation
Russia seeks to expand its nuclear energy dominance with new international projects
Russia blocks UN Security Council resolution on Sudan humanitarian crisis
G20 summit wraps up with a joint statement strong on sentiment, but short on specifics
SDS storms fed by sand and dust equal in weight to 350 Great Pyramids of Giza, says UNCCD
Southern Africa has 'enormous' potential for green hydrogen production, study finds
Malaysia seeks BRICS membership
Kazakhstan has no plans to join BRICS, says Astana
Sri Lanka to apply for BRICS membership
From oil to minerals: Gabon’s ambitious mining transition
How France is losing Africa
Guinea grants final approvals to Rio Tinto for $11.6bn Simandou iron-ore project
Kenya’s untapped mineral wealth holds the promise of economic transformation
US adds 17 Liberian-flagged bulk carriers and oil tankers to Russian sanctions-busting blacklist
Panama and Liberia vying for largest maritime registry
Force majeure at Libya’s Zawiya Refinery threatens exports and oil expansion plans
Russia, facing loss of Syrian base for Africa operations, seen turning to war-torn Sudan or divided Libya
Libya’s mineral riches: unlocking a future beyond oil
Ukraine claims it was behind massacre of Wagner Group mercenaries in Mali
Can Morocco's phosphate wealth put it at the centre of the global battery supply chain?
Hajj aftermath: deaths, disappearances and detentions spark investigations across world
Sri Lanka's LTL Holdings targets African power sector
Russia's nuclear diplomacy binding emerging markets to the Kremlin
Can Niger's military junta seize the country's uranium opportunity?
Disaster season: heat waves sweep the world – in charts and maps
AI will be a major source of GHGs by 2030, says Morgan Stanley
Niger and beyond: Francophone credit delivers coup de grâce
EBRD 2023: Bank to expand into the whole of Africa plus Iraq
Global coal trade approaches its peak
The world has passed peak per capital CO₂ emissions, but overall emissions are still rising
Trump threatens BRICS with tariffs if they dump the dollar
SITREP: Middle East rapidly destabilised by a week of missile strikes
Colombian mercenaries trapped in Sudan’s conflict
Air France diverts Red Sea flights after crew spots 'luminous object'
COMMENT: Tunisia on the brink of collapse
Tunisian President Kais Saied re-elected for second term
WHO declares "global public health emergency" owing to mpox outbreak in Central Africa, new virus strain
Climate crisis-driven global food security deteriorated between 2019 and 2022 and is even affecting the US
Cost of repairing Syria’s power infrastructure put at $40bn by electricity minister
Indian banks' profitability to moderate in FY26
Former chief of the Bank of Japan sees more rate hikes on the horizon
Is China ready for Trump’s tariff threats?
Renewables Down Under, and under the Long White Cloud
CHN Energy connects Rudong Solar Hydrogen-Storage project to the grid in China
Microsoft to invest $3bn in India
International highway tears through Bosnia’s rural heartlands
Japan’s ramen shops face crisis as rising costs push more to bankruptcy
Seoul-listed DoubleU acquires 60% stake in Turkey’s Paxie Games for $27mn
Singapore’s PacificLight Power embarks on $735mn hydrogen power plant project
India's Competition Commission approves major steel industry acquisition
Trump vows to block Nippon Steel's $14bn bid for US Steel
HESS: Mongolia’s unique success story between rock and a hard place at risk
Mongolia copper-gold discovery hailed for “globally significant” prospects
Starlink satellite internet has more than 30,000 users in Iran
Russia sells stakes in Kazakhstan uranium JVs to China
Bahrain's security chief meets Syrian commander amid diplomatic push
Bahrain and Iran to begin talks on normalising relations
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait set to offer Russians visa-free entry
Iranian influx to Venezuela via Colombia triggers regional security fears
Iran calls nuclear talks with E3 serious, constructive
OUTLOOK Iran 2025
Iranian carrier plans European routes as sanctions ease
UK crime agency helps Iraqi forces arrest three Kurds over people smuggling
Britain signs landmark Iraq deal including migrant returns accord
UK and Iraq sign GBP12.3bn partnership deal
Israel and Hamas near hostage deal as mediators report breakthrough
Biden imposes chip export controls on Israel in final days
Iran reveals underground missile base used in Israel strikes
Damascus International Airport resumes operations
Turkey, Syria tandem could mean piped Qatari gas for Europe and a supercharged Middle East clean energy transition
Qatar-Turkey-Europe gas pipeline ambition could be back on following fall of Assad
As jubilant Syrian refugees in Turkey celebrate Assad downfall, analysts wonder what comes next in power vacuum
Syrian foreign ministry urges Kuwait to reopen embassy in Damascus
Kuwait greenlights tax deal with Iraq to prevent double taxation
Iran demands 'equal footing' with Kuwaiti and Saudi plans to drill for gas in Gulf
ICJ's Nawaf Salam appointed as Lebanon's new Prime Minister
Lebanon faces a new phase: will Hezbollah surrender its weapons to the state?
Lebanon ends two-year void with military chief Aoun as president
Lebanon seizes alleged Iranian cash transfer to Hezbollah from diplomat
US winds down Guantanamo Bay with removal of Yemenis to Oman
So you want to get on the right side of Donald Trump? Try gift-wrapping a hotel
ANALYSIS: Regional escalation on the table following Israeli strike on Iran
Syria seeks Qatar support in rebuilding effort as ministers meet in Doha
Qatar joins regional powers in Damascus diplomatic outreach
Yemen launches missile at Israeli base amid US-UK airstrikes escalation
Iran's former foreign minister proposes new MWADA regional security framework
Germany ignored multiple warnings by Saudi Arabia before Magdeburg attack
New Syrian leadership pledges reforms in talks with Italy
Risk of Israel-Turkey war in new Syria assessed by Israeli government commission
Dubai's Damac plans $20bn US data centre investment
Israel launches biggest strike in Yemen, killing 40 people
Argentina announces ambitious nuclear programme linked to AI development
Latin America set for tepid growth as Trump tariff threat looms, ECLAC says
Latin America urged to boost tax take and private investment to close development gap
IMF: Breaking Latin America’s cycle of low growth and violence
COMMENT: Trump’s White House picks signal rocky start with Latin America
Latin America trapped in low growth cycle, ECLAC warns
Bolivian President Arce declares "coca is not cocaine" as country expands coca industry
Bolivia's lithium deals with Russia, China raise sovereignty concerns as state bears heavy risks
Bolivian ex-president Evo Morales faces formal charges of human trafficking
Geothermal energy poised for major global expansion, says IEA chief Fatih Birol
US-Cuba rum war spills over as Biden law stirs Havana Club row
Brutal gang violence over failed voodoo spell claims nearly 200 lives in Haiti's capital
Russian exiles flee war and persecution, seeking refuge in Mexico
Mexico's new leader enjoys strong public backing despite security woes
Mexican cartel boss who created fearsome Zetas returns to face justice after US deportation
Panama rejects Trump's military threats over canal control
Paraguay stands firm with Taiwan amid growing Chinese pressure
Murder exposes secret prostitution ring in Peruvian Congress
BRICS bank chief touts Uruguay membership in Montevideo talks
Venezuela’s Maduro sworn in for third term as international criticism mounts
Venezuelan opposition leader Machado released after brief detention
Venezuela detains US citizens and foreign "mercenaries" ahead of Maduro inauguration
Bangladesh’s BNP urges interim government to expedite elections
Bangladesh revokes former Prime Minister Hasina’s passport
Bangladesh explores tank purchase from Turkey as India receives request for Hasina’s extradition
Controversial 10-GW hydropower project in Tibet greenlit by Beijing
China's coast guard deployment raises tensions in South China Sea, Philippines protests
Balancing growth and sustainability: Southeast Asia’s energy dilemma
US imposes preliminary duties on Southeast Asian solar imports
Angkor Archaeological Park attracts nearly 700,000 foreign tourists in nine months
Peru's APEC summit exposes trade tug-of-war between Beijing and Washington
Rising gold ETF inflows set to drive global bullion prices
Russian exports of diamonds to Hong Kong up 18-fold in 5M24
Gazli Gas responds to reports on Uzbekistan project, refutes any suggestion sanctioned individuals are involved
Navigating the four year long India-China border standoff
US to remove barriers to nuclear collaboration with India
Indonesia joins BRICS despite concerns over potential Trump threats
BRICS expands membership, adding Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand
Former bank employee in Japan arrested in $1.6mn gold heist
North Korea escalates tensions with ballistic missile launch ahead of Trump's inauguration
Japan's wage surge fuels expectations of January BOJ rate hike
BCPG to invest $945mn in power projects, prioritising clean energy
Hundreds of children killed or injured in Myanmar in 2024: UNICEF
Myanmar junta to allow observers for controversial 2025 election amid ongoing conflict
Over 120 dead as powerful tremor hits Tibet
Nepal floods - death toll rises to 209
Kolkata hospital rape and murder case sparks international outcry, raises questions
South Asia hit by floods and landslides after heavy rainfall
Prosecution, overthrow or death – how most South Korean presidents have met their political end
North Korea claims breakthrough with new hypersonic missile test
North Korea’s missile support to Russia raises alarms at UN
Russia’s arms exports slump, Kremlin preparing for possible war with Nato
Security personnel dead as Imran Khan’s supporters breach Islamabad lockdown
Pakistan could quit TAPI as India now “extremely lukewarm” on gas pipeline project, says report
Papua New Guinea tribal conflict leaves 30 dead amid gold mine dispute
Extreme weather surges in 2024
ING: India is likely to remain the region's fastest growing country in 2025
Asia’s shipbuilding renaissance: record orders and rising prices
Kamala Harris to visit Singapore, Bahrain and Germany on final vice-presidential overseas trip
South Korean investigators enter presidential compound, detain Yoon Suk Yeol
Impeached South Korean president's aide pleads to halt detention efforts as political tensions escalate
Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports in October up 18.22%
A surge in influenza cases, rare COVID symptom hit Taiwan as Lunar New Year approaches
China denies involvement in Taiwan's undersea cable damage amid rising tensions
Pompeo eyes continuity in US-Taiwan policy under Trump’s second term
BYD sales soar signalling a shift in global EV market dynamics
German Prosecutors Confirm Termination of Money Laundering Investigation Against Alisher Usmanov
Comments by President of the Russian Fertilizers Producers Association Andrey Guryev on bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin
PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC green chemistry research grants awarded for the 8th time to world's best young scientists
PhosAgro Tops RAEX ESG Ranking
Download the pdf version
Try PRO
Salt Bank SA, Romania’s first neobank, attracted 230,000 customers within its first few months of operations, the bank announced following the approval of its interim financial statements by the board of directors.
Salt Bank, which officially launched on April 4, 2024, reported 100,000 customers created accounts in the initial days of operation. The rapid uptake demonstrated "both the appetite of Romanians for a digital only bank and the resilience of the technological platform that scaled up in order to cope with the demand," the bank said in a statement posted on the website of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB).
The neobank, fully owned by Romania’s leading financial group Banca Transilvania, was built on the foundations of Idea Bank, which was acquired by Banca Transilvania. Salt means "leap" or "jump" in Romanian.
According to its results statement, Salt Bank reported a loss of RON30.6mn (€6.1mn) for the first half of 2024 at the group level, while the bank itself recorded a loss of RON42.8mn. These losses were attributed to transactions related to portfolio sales and derecognition, as well as an increase in operational expenses associated with building the digital bank.
The bank maintained a net interest margin (NIM) of 2.9% at the bank level and 4% at the group level.
Moldova’s Maib bank, which plans to list its shares on the Bucharest Exchange (BVB), has reported an excellent third quarter, with net profit rising by 11% year on year to MDL1.1bn ... more
UniCredit announced on 4 November that it has acquired a 90.1% stake in Alpha Bank Romania from Alpha International Holdings SMSA, in a cash and equity transaction. The deal establishes ... more
UniCredit downgraded its 2024 growth forecast for Romania to 1.7% (from 2.4% in July), due to the poor performance in H1 and a slower-than-anticipated recovery in the EU, but it upgraded its 2025 ... more
Register here to continue reading this article and 8 more for free or purchase 12 months full website access
Register to read the bne monthly magazine for free:
Already registered
Google Captcha Failed!
Password could contain only a-z0-9\+*?[^]$(){}=!<>|:-_ characters and have 8-20 symbols length.
Please complete your registration by confirming your email address.
A confirmation email has been sent to the email address you provided.
Forgotten password?
Email field can't be empty.
No user with this email address.
Access recovery request has expired, or you are using the wrong recovery token. Please, try again.
Access recover request has expired. Please, try again.
To continue viewing our content you need to complete the registration process.
Please look for an email that was sent to with the subject line "Confirmation bne IntelliNews access". This email will have instructions on how to complete registration process. Please check in your "Junk" folder in case this communication was misdirected in your email system.
If you have any questions please contact us at sales@intellinews.com
Sorry, but you have used all your free articles fro this month for bne IntelliNews. Subscribe to continue reading for only $119 per year.
Your subscription includes:
For the meantime we are also offering a free subscription to bne's digital weekly newspaper to subscribers to the online package.
Click here for more subscription options, including to the print version of our flagship monthly magazine:
More subscription options
Take a trial to our premium daily news service aimed at professional investors that covers the 30 countries of emerging Europe:
Get IntelliNews PRO
For any other enquiries about our products or corporate discounts please contact us at sales@intellinews.com
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, unsubscribe here.
Magazine annual electronic subscription
Website & Archive annual subscription