RIDDLE: Sanctions and the Eurasian Economic Union
Belarus President Lukashenko wins re-election in a landslide, to no one’s surprise
Belarus' Lukashenko is a shoo-in for his seventh election as president
Lukashenko mulls building a second nuclear power plant
Brazil's President Lula and Putin hold talks on Ukraine war and BRICS
CAUCASUS BLOG: Is it the end of the honeymoon between Azerbaijan and Russia?
Denmark approves preservation work at damaged Nord Stream 2 gas pipe
Trump calls on OPEC to ramp up oil supply
ING: EU considering Russian aluminium ban in new sanctions push
Hungary lets EU extend Russia sanctions
COMMENT: Why is Ukraine struggling to mobilise its citizens to fight?
Lack of megadeals drags down M&A volume in Emerging Europe
Turkey’s role in European security on agenda as top diplomats of Ankara, EU meet
COMMENT: Europe needs to start the fightback against Trump now
Analysts expect ‘perfect storm’ of political risks in 2025
Slovakia's political crisis deepens, PM Fico accuses Czech politicians and media of meddling with Slovak internal affairs
Change in forward guidance of Hungarian central bank suggests persistent tight monetary policy ahead
Hungary not ready for single currency, Viktor Orban says
Polish retail sales disappoint in December
OUTLOOK Poland 2025
Protests against Fico’s pro-Kremlin turn intensify across Slovakia
President Pellegrini calls situation in Slovakia “serious” in wake of country-wide protests, PM Fico coup plot claims
OUTLOOK Southeastern Europe 2025
Albania plans Vatican-style state for Bektashi order in Tirana
Albania's PM signals possible shift on TikTok ban
Shopping boycotts spread across the Balkans
BALKAN BLOG: Polluted Balkan capitals choke on winter smog
Bulgaria’s new government gives up on January 2026 eurozone entry
Bulgaria’s ruling coalition rejects central bank law changes putting eurozone entry at risk
Croatian shops nearly empty as boycott gets underway
Croatian robot boat to tackle microplastics in the Adriatic
Sanctions stepped up in the Western Balkans, but with mixed results
Emerging Europe split between eager anticipation and wary acceptance ahead of Trump inauguration
EU gives Moldova €30mn as short-term fix to energy crisis and promises longer-term plan
Ukraine offers coal and experts to settle Transnistria’s energy crisis without Russia
Expected settlement of energy crisis in Transnistria may have a security cost
Protesters in Montenegro threaten civil disobedience
Romanian energy minister slams EU’s "green shock therapy"
Iconic Romanian ancient artefacts stolen from Dutch museum
S&P revises Romania rating’s outlook to negative, warns of downgrade risk
UPDATED: Serbian Prime Minister Vucevic resigns after weeks of mass protests
BALKAN BLOG: Serbia’s student protests are a call for change, not a colour revolution
Serbia goes on strike
ISTANBUL BLOG: Making a fool of law
Istanbul-listed contractor Enka to build Essar's 350-MW hydrogen plant in UK for GBP 529mn
Turkey delivers another 250bp rate cut in line with expectations
PANNIER: Taliban’s relations with Central Asia imperilled as Trump turns off aid taps
India’s doubts over TAPI Pipeline persist amid security and geopolitical concerns
PANNIER: Tajikistan, Taliban tone down the hostile rhetoric
Central Asia emerges as new e-commerce hub
Russia and Armenia seek to ease strained relations
New US strategic partnership could be revolutionary for Armenia
COMMENT: Armenia makes a strategic turn from Russia towards the West
Saving the Caspian Sea for Central Asia and Kazakhstan
Fatal road accident triggers widespread protests in Azerbaijan
NEO: Why pick-up points for online orders are gaining popularity vs. home delivery
European Council suspends visa-free regime for Georgian officials and diplomats
Detained Georgian journalist's life at risk after 16-day hunger strike
Protesters in rural Georgia aim to sap the security forces’ strength
Tbilisi actors breathe new life into Georgia’s resistance movement
URUS-ClearPic: Across Eurasia, China is leveraging supply risk successfully – so could others
China’s satellite internet provider Spacesail sets up in Kazakhstan
Thoughts of teenagers licking backs of “psychedelic toads” bother MPs in Kyrgyzstan
OUTLOOK Small Stans & Mongolia 2025
Angry Mongolians take to streets in public backlash over taxes and smog
Mongolia revives traditional "Ghengis Khan" script bichig
EBRD delivers 26% expansion in investments in 2024, commits record €16.6bn across economies
Tajikistan: Personnel reshuffle creates glide path for dynastic transition of power
Iran, Tajikistan sign 23 cooperation agreements in landmark visit
Football talent Khusanov poised to become first Uzbek to play in English Premier League after Man City signing
Uzbekistan privatises HUMO, Paynet succeeds with $65mn bid
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
CAR mercenary becomes first African to die in Ukraine conflict
Overcoming insecurity to unlock the Central African Republic’s mineral riches
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
EBRD warns of risks for emerging markets pursuing industrial policies
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
Mixing with the running stars at Kenya’s Home of Champions high altitude training camp
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
Russia funding war in Ukraine via illegal gold mining in Africa – WGC report
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
More than 5,000 Nigerian women trapped in Iraq
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
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway officially launched, but sidetracked at least until summer
Is China ready for Trump’s tariff threats?
Feed-in-tariff costs for Japanese solar in 2025 set at JYP10 per kw/h
Pakistan urges World Bank to fund smart meter project
US sets February 27 deadline for discharging Russian oil tankers
Microsoft to invest $3bn in India
INTERVIEW: REnergy Dynamics eyes 175 tonnes per day in compressed biogas projects in India
Chinese power projects under CPEC leave Pakistan struggling with debt
Japan’s ramen shops face crisis as rising costs push more to bankruptcy
Where are the world’s rare earth metals?
Aluminium prices dip as Trump considers 10% tariff on Chinese imports
India's Competition Commission approves major steel industry acquisition
Trump vows to block Nippon Steel's $14bn bid for US Steel
US President Trump says Microsoft in new talks to acquire TikTok
Sanctions have created opportunities for Chinese tech companies in Russia
Powerful earthquakes hit Taiwan, TSMC evacuates employees
COMMENT: Gulf states court Russia but stop short of strategic shift
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
Iran ends mobile phone registration restrictions in policy shift
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei labels US epitome of colonialism
Iran's Hezardastan sells Android app store Café Bazaar to local Tapsell
China's Shanghai SUS Environment secures $497mn contract for waste-to-energy project in Iraq
Iraq seeks Iran-backed militia disarmament in new push
ISTANBUL BLOG: “Dog bites man” story as Erdogan arrests more mayors, but there’s more here than meets the eye
IDF Chief of Staff resigns over October 7 security failure
IDF launches major operation in Jenin, four Palestinians killed
Former Jordan official foresees regional challenges under Trump
UPDATED: Hamas military leader thanks Iran, vows resistance will continue
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
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
French president in Lebanon to meet the country's new leaders
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
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
The world reacts to Trump 2.0
Syria seeks Qatar support in rebuilding effort as ministers meet in Doha
Saudi Arabia's Neom secures €3bn Italian export financing
Saudi crown prince pledges $600bn US investment in Trump call
COMMENT: Trump's cryptocurrency venture sparks debate as memecoin risk data emerges
EU ministers agree gradual lifting of sanctions on Syria
Turkish Airlines resumes Damascus flights after 13-year hiatus
COMMENT: A call for stability and inclusion as Syria grapples with an extremist government challenge
Abu Dhabi plans AI transformation across government services by 2027
Albania, Italy and UAE to build €1bn Adriatic subsea cable
Yemen launches missile at Israeli base amid US-UK airstrikes escalation
COMMENT: Is Latin America prepared for Trump 2.0?
Trump's return to White House draws polarised Latin American response
Argentina announces ambitious nuclear programme linked to AI development
Latin America set for tepid growth as Trump tariff threat looms, ECLAC says
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
Mexico and Central America face pressure over US deportation push
Latin America urged to boost tax take and private investment to close development gap
LATAM BLOG: US-Colombia migrant standoff tests Washington's regional sway
Russia arrests Colombian fighter in occupied Kursk as mercenary crackdown widens
Mexico's $20bn refinery crisis threatens energy sovereignty
Trump vows to “take back” Panama Canal in inauguration speech
Peruvian president's secret plastic surgery ignites scandal
BRICS bank chief touts Uruguay membership in Montevideo talks
US poised to cut Venezuelan oil ties as supply glut looms
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
Hong Kong firm to build 150-MW wind power plant in Cambodia
India accelerates pivot to Western defence platforms, away from Russia
China’s AI chatbot DeepSeek – just don’t mention Taiwan, the Uyghurs or Tiananmen Square
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
India business expansion slows to 14-month low in January
Trump issues anti-wind executive order
Landslide in Central Java, Indonesia claims 17 lives, nine still missing
Bali shuts down "Russian Village"
Russia backs Vietnam's bid to join BRICS
Japan hikes rates in a move that goes largely unnoticed
Death sentence for Chinese killer
Hiroshima invites Trump to mark 80th anniversary of atomic bombing
BCPG to invest $945mn in power projects, prioritising clean energy
Malaysia maintains key interest rate as economy shows resilience
Authorities seize $3.8mn of meth in northeastern India
Hundreds of children killed or injured in Myanmar in 2024: UNICEF
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
Human rights groups urge Zelenskiy to protect North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine
Trump labels North Korea a 'nuclear power' as he eyes diplomatic revival
North Korea rejects Belarus summit proposal, calls for clarity in relations
North Korea issues warning in response to air drills with B-1B bombers
Russia’s arms exports slump, Kremlin preparing for possible war with Nato
Papua New Guinea tribal conflict leaves 30 dead amid gold mine dispute
The Philippines takes a stand against China's maritime aggression in the South China Sea
Trump to give thumbs up on expedited arms supply to Taiwan
Extreme weather surges in 2024
Kamala Harris to visit Singapore, Bahrain and Germany on final vice-presidential overseas trip
Singapore’s PacificLight Power embarks on $735mn hydrogen power plant project
Yoon's failed martial law declaration leaves South Korea in political turmoil
India's NTPC plans solar joint venture in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports in October up 18.22%
Taiwan’s GDP growth up on back of domestic demand
Taiwan set to cull 120,000 green iguanas
BRICS expands membership, adding Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand
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
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine conflict, trade and bilateral relations in a telephone conversation on January 27.
The European Union is reportedly considering more import restrictions on Russian aluminium as part of a new package of sanctions targeting Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. But any impact is likely to be limited.
The European Union foreign ministers have agreed to extend Russian sanctions for another six months, after Hungary lifted its opposition.
Ukraine’s mobilisation efforts to replenish its manpower are failing and increasingly threatening Kyiv’s ability to defend itself against the Russian aggression, leading Russian analysts Peter Korotaev and Volodymyr Ishchenko say.
The first months of 2025 are likely to mark a turning point in the history of sanctions against Russia: after three years of "escalating" but steadily reducing the tempo of sanctions policy. Are sanctions working?
Donald Trump policies could set in motion an attempt at reconfiguring relations.
The intensification of the pro-Kremlin turn of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico drew the largest crowd of demonstrators to the streets of the Slovak capital Bratislava since protests against Fico's Smer party-led cabinet began in late 2023.
If Ukraine solves the energy crisis in Moldova, it would thwart Russian efforts to exploit the crisis to pursue its political interests in Moldova.
Since Trump’s inauguration, Putin has sent several signals that he is ready to open negotiation with the new American president on bringing the war to an end.
Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini said the situation in the country is “serious” following a security council meeting called after populist Prime Robert Fico claimed a plot to overthrow his government is taking place.
US President Donald Trump said that he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "as soon as possible" to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, speaking to delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos by video link on January 23.
Human rights organisations advocating for North Korean citizens have called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to refrain from repatriating two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia.
US President Donald Trump has tasked his special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, with ending the war in Ukraine within 100 days.
A Colombian citizen has been detained near the village of Alexandria in Russia's Kursk region on charges of terrorism and mercenary activity, as both Moscow and Kyiv grapple with the growing presence of foreign fighters in their ranks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is under increasing pressure to address Russia’s deepening economic woes as US President Donald Trump intensifies calls for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatening severe economic measures unless a peace agreement is reached to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The Bavarian branch of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has proposed deporting all 1.2mn Ukrainian war refugees living in Germany, claiming there is “room enough” in Ukraine to accommodate them if they could return.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was caused by societal moral decay, including a widespread indulgence in sinful behaviour such as masturbation, a senior figure in the Russian Orthodox Church has claimed.
Russia’s armed forces conducted a co-ordinated strike on critical gas and energy infrastructure in Ukraine using high-precision weapons and drones.
Analyst suggests EU cannot hope to deter Russia effectively without closer cooperation with Ankara.
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