- + Georgia's parliament passes controversial 'foreign agents' bill amid mass protests and U.S. warnings—Washington says it might impose financial and travel restrictions on certain individuals if the bill remains unchanged or if security forces continue ...
- + EBRD2024: EBRD expects Emerging Europe growth boost in 2024, but slightly lowers forecast—Development bank makes downward revision in latest forecasts after worse than expected Q1 figures for Central Europe. [Author: Clare Nuttall in Yereva...
- + Discovery of mass grave in Babylon revives hope of accounting for Iraqi man missing for 33 years—A recent announcement of a mass grave discovery in Babylon has rekindled hope for a young man who was just a year old when his father disappeared ... ...
- + Latvia’s start-up scene: a second fiddle no more—Some key new initiatives look set to help Latvia’s start-up scene move out of the shadow of its northern neighbour Estonia. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Turkey’s fiscal tightening package goes down like a lead balloon with analysts—Influential economists not impressed with lack of detail and likely impact. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Georgian Dream accuses West of funding violent opposition to its foreign agents law—Controversial Russian-style "foreign agent" law passes final reading on May 14, though it is expected to be temporarily vetoed by the president. [Auth...
- + Chemical analysis of CO₂ rise over past 50,000 years – current rate is 10 times faster—The current rate of atmospheric CO2 increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years. This is according to scientists who ...
- + US development finance institution DFC commits $412mn to build Sierra Leone power station —The US funding package includes a $292mn loan for an 83MW gas-fueled power station in Freetown and $120mn in political risk insurance to attract priva...
- + Russia prepares a crackdown on crypto—Russia is preparing a crackdown on cryptocurrencies in a bid to establish control over the segment that so far has been operating largely under the ra...
- + ASH: Ukraine - running through the numbers—Lots of figures are thrown around about the cost of supporting Ukraine in its defence against the Russian invasion. I have myself used a $100 billion ...
- + Romania’s central bank takes cautious stance with no-change policy decision—Romania’s central bank opted on May 13 to keep the policy rate (chart) at 7%, despite a analysts expectations that it would make the first rate cut .....
- + Western Balkans urged to embrace renewable energy for district heating—Fossil fuels are still being burned in district heating networks across the Western Balkans, despite the pressing need to prepare for the transition t...
- + Kazakh ex-minister convicted of savage torture and murder of wife in trial that gripped nation—Kuandyk Bishimbayev jailed for 24 years. Jury members wept as CCTV footage of sickening assault was shown. Campaigners hope for permanent change in at...
- + Russia's nuclear diplomacy binding emerging markets to the Kremlin —Currently, Rosatom controls approximately 70% of the world export market for the construction of nuclear power plants. Emerging powers in the Global s...
- + Joining the EU has been the best reform strategy for any former Warsaw pact country—After 20 years in the EU, a comparison of Poland and Romania with Ukraine, which is waiting to join, highlights the prosperity it brings its newest me...
- + Estonia’s Coop Pank nets €2.8mn in April—Estonia’s Coop Pank net €2.8mn in April, the number of the bank's clients increased by 2,400 and the number of active clients increased by ... [Author...
- + Czech inflation accelerated to 2.9% y/y in April—Consumer price indices in Czechia increased by 2.9% year on year and by 0.7% month on month as food, alcohol and tobacco prices spiked. [Author: bne I...
- + Uzbekistan targets 10mn tonnes of coal production by 2025—Announcement comes after state in April dispensed with regulating coal prices. [Author: Mokhi Sultanova in Tashkent]
- + ISTANBUL BLOG: Fiscally frightening? Let’s talk up some tightening—The Erdogan regime is, of course, not really in a position to cut its spending. [Author: Akin Nazli in Belgrade]
- + University of Ljubljana students occupy faculty in protest against military operations in Gaza—Students at the University of Ljubljana have occupied the main lecture hall at the Faculty of Social Sciences in protest over Israeli military operati...
- + High-level Ukrainian delegation makes first visit to Serbia since war began—Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and First Lady Olena Zelenska visit Serbia to mend relations strained by Belgrade's refusal to cut ties with ...
- + South Africa’s Eskom refutes claims of excessive diesel-burning to keep lights on pre-election—South Africa’s state-owned power utility Eskom has refuted claims circulated by media outlets that it has been burning excessive amounts of diesel ......
- + Nauseda and Simonyte re-run 2019 Lithuanian presidential election runoff —Nauseda received just over 44 per cent of the votes in the first round of voting on May 12, and Simonyte garnered almost 20 per cent. [Author: `Linas ...
- + Transit fee rivals Russia, Kazakhstan “happy” China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway not progressing—Beijing appears deterred by cost and geopolitical considerations, but if realised “CKU” would open up shortest China-Europe rail route. [Author: bne I...
- + IIF analysis shows Kazakhstan’s economy faces bumps in the road – but no major obstacles as things stand—Central Asia’s largest economy hindered by major oil field development delays. Officials must also stay wary of threat posed by secondary sanctions. [...
- + India expects long-term arrangement with Iran on Chabahar after years—Iran will sign a 10-year contract with an Indian state operator to develop Chabahar port after a three-year hiatus, according to the ... [Author:...
- + Cabinet reshuffle sees Shoigu out of Russian Defence Ministry, Belousov in —Russian President Vladimir Putin fired his long-standing friend Sergei Shoigu as head of the Defence Minister and replaced him with economist Andrei B...
- + Atlantic Lithium to start trading on Ghana Stock Exchange on May 13—Atlantic Lithium Ltd., the African-focused lithium exploration and development company aiming to establish Ghana's inaugural lithium mine, will begin ...
- + Off-grid solar lantern sales surge across Africa—A recent report by the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) has revealed the sustained popularity in Africa of lanterns powered by ... [A...
- + Hungary’s OTP books hefty Q1 profit despite government levies—The consolidated adjusted net profit of OTP Bank rose 126% year on year to HUF240.0bn (€620mn) with all foreign units posting ... [Author: bne In...
- + Chinese cars are flooding the Gulf Arabian auto markets—For any regular visitor to Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, one thing has always been a consistent view: that is big American GMCs, ....
- + North Macedonia’s new president provokes Greece at inauguration ceremony —Greek ambassador walks out after Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova pointedly uses her country’s old name — Macedonia instead of North Macedonia. [Author: Va...
- + Ukraine’s strategy of hitting Russian oil refineries is working —Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries are doing what oil sanctions failed to do: reducing the Kremlin’s income from oil production, limiting its...
- + Iranians cast votes in parliamentary runoff election—Iranians returned to the polls on May 10 for a runoff election to fill the remaining seats in the nation’s parliament, following a strong showing by h...
- + Czech government slams Liberty Steel for missed social payments and unrealistic promises —Government says Liberty owner Sanjeev Gupta's restructuring plans are not realistic. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Trees are “coughing not breathing” due to climate crisis stress, study finds—"We found that trees in warmer, drier climates are essentially coughing instead of breathing," a study by Penn State found. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + PROFILE: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda—Polls show that incumbent could win re-election on May 12 without requiring a run-off. [Author: `Linas Jegelevicius in Vilnius]
- + EU turning a blind eye to Russian LNG flowing through its terminals—Europe has been turning a blind eye to a fifth of Russia’s LNG output that is flowing through EU ports, either to be consumed by member states or sent...
- + China and Hungary sign 18 agreements during last leg of Xi's European tour—Chinese President Xi Jinping said mutual political trust provided a "firm foundation" for strengthening Chinese-Hungarian ties in a joint press confer...
- + Putin accuses ‘arrogant’ West of risking global war at 2024 Victory Day celebrations—The West is risking inciting a global conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed during his speech on Red Square at Moscow’s Victory Day celeb...
- + Iran’s northern cities hit with golfball-sized hail in epic deluge —Iran’s northern Khorasan and Gilan provinces have been hit by a heavy rainstorm and mega hailstorms in the latest of a string of flooding incidents in...
- + South Africa's Eskom schedules power outage in Gauteng, amid talk of politically-driven moratorium—South Africa’s state-owned power utility Eskom has announced power supply interruptions in some areas of Gauteng province this coming Tuesday (May ......
- + Israel’s exposure to Turkey trade ban most evident in construction and food, says Capital Economics—Ankara’s move is, however, unlikely to have a major macroeconomic impact in either country, assessment concludes. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + EU-Georgia relations hit a new low as Tbilisi warns of foreign-funded power-grab—State Security Service accuses demonstrators of wanting to overthrow the government with foreign funding. [Author: Tornike Mandaria]
- + Russia hits Ukrainian power facilities in six regions with intense missile attack, imports from EU won't cover winter demand—Russian forces launched an intense missile attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in six regions on May 8. Half of Ukraine’s power facilities are n...
- + Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan join forces to power Europe—The energy component of the Trans-Caspian and Middle Corridors are expanding, not only through oil and gas but also through green energy. Azerbaijan, ...
- + Unicredit doubles profit to €213mn in Russia as exit pressure mounts—Italian lender Unicredit more than doubled its profit year on year in 1Q24 in Russia to €213mn in 1Q24, according ... [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Mongolia’s economy in 2024 a very mixed bag—Coal mining export earnings set to once more drive growth, but country badly needs to wean itself off fossil fuel revenues. Creation of a sovereign we...
- + North Macedonia’s opposition VMRO-DPMNE celebrates twin electoral victory—VMRO-DPMNE wins both general and presidential elections as voters punish ruling SDSM for failure to tackle corruption. [Author: Valentina Dimitrievska...
- + China to intensify relations with Serbia after President Xi's landmark visit to Belgrade—Serbia is one of just three countries on President Xi Jinping's European tour. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Croatia’s HDZ, Homeland Movement agree on ruling coalition—Andrej Plenkovic to get a third term as PM after securing backing from rightwing Homeland Movement. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Turkey's YEO to launch solar-plus-storage project in Zambia in partnership with GEI Power —Zambian sustainable energy company GEI Power is partnering with Turkey’s YEO to develop a 60 MW solar plant with a 20 MWh battery energy storage syste...
- + Czech industry returns to decline in March—Czech industry decreased by 2.7% year on year and by 1.6% month on month in March, the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) reported. The drop comes after ...
- + Romania’s BRD bank reports smaller profit but strong lending in Q1—BRD Groupe Société Generale group, which operates Romania's fourth-largest bank by assets, reported its net profit dropped by 4.6% y/y in Q1, but ... ...
- + Ukrainian oligarch Kolomoisky faces life imprisonment for murder—Igor Kolomoisky, once considered Ukraine’s most influential oligarch and a supporter of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been charged with an organi...
- + April 2024 sets global moisture record—April 2024 set a global moisture record for the planet, reports climatologist Ben Noll [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Relokanty: Is Russia’s loss Central Asia’s gain?—Maximising the benefits of Russia’s surprising exodus. [Author: Marsha McGraw Olive]
- + April was the moistest April on record for the planet —This April 2024 was the moistest April on record for the planet, reports Ben Noll, a climatologist on May 8. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Premier Energy seeks to raise over €135mn with Bucharest IPO—Power and gas utility group Premier Energy's IPO kicks off on May 8, raising funds for its expansion into renewables in Romania and Moldova. [Author: ...
- + A private company is building Belarus President Lukashenko a luxurious bolthole in Russia's Sochi – investigation —A private company linked to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is reportedly constructing a luxurious bolthole with hotel, restaurant and chale...
- + New India-Europe transit corridor set to challenge IMEC, Suez routes—The battle of the corridors is heating up as India promotes a new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) route that will connect the subcon...
- + The Kremlin scores propaganda points with a display of captured tanks and armour ahead of the Victory Day parade—An exhibition of captured military trophies has opened in Moscow, ahead of the May 9 annual Victory Day parade, showing off Nato armour and vehicles c...
- + Korea turns to Uzbekistan in bid to meet demand for additional 3,000 automotive workers per year—Wider world of work both east and west appears to be opening up to Uzbek labour migrants. [Author: Mokhi Sultanova in Tashkent]
- + China’s Xi Jinping arrives in Serbia on anniversary of Belgrade embassy bombing —Serbia has become a key partner of China in Europe, benefitting from Chinese investments into infrastructure development and industrial production. [A...
- + China’s Xi to arrive in Serbia on anniversary of Belgrade embassy bombing —Serbia has become a key partner of China in Europe, benefitting from Chinese investments into infrastructure development and industrial production. [A...
- + KSE: Sanctions tracker - Russia’s external environment improves in April —External environment improves for Russia – March trade surplus doubled to $16.8bn compared to average values in January-February; current account surp...
- + North Macedonia’s opposition gears up for return to power—Uncertainly over North Macedonia's EU accession path as opposition conservative VMRO-DPMNE is poised for a comeback after eight years in opposition. [...
- + Genocide victims’ remains found on Namibia's Shark Island, adding to calls to scrap German green hydrogen port project —Namibian authorities are being urged to freeze plans to extend a port on the Shark Island peninsula – meant to support green hydrogen production along...
- + New Ukraine funding deal gives EU members opt out on military spending using CBR frozen funds—Neutral EU member states will be able to opt out of a plan to use profits from Russia’s central bank frozen assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine. [A...
- + Growth in Kazakhstan services sustained for second successive month, April PMI shows—Firms generally upbeat on year ahead, but facing difficulties in retaining staff. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + APS, EBRD buy €400mn sub-performing Romanian loans from Piraeus—The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that alongside debt recovery specialist APS it is taking over a ... [Author: bne...
- + Zimbabwe to build 20-metre tall bronze monument to celebrate Russia's WWII victory against Nazi Germany —A Zimbabwean research entity plans to build a towering bronze and stone monument honouring the former Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the ...
- + Russia’s poorest regions amongst the biggest winners from the war spending—Russia’s heavy military spending is acting as an income inequality equaliser. A raft of Russia’s poorest regions are the biggest winner from the milit...
- + Turkish Deniz Bank stops opening Russian accounts—One of the largest Turkish banks DenizBank has significantly tightened the conditions for opening accounts for Russian nationals since the beginning ....
- + Raiffeisen pledges to leave Russia in 3Q24 as margins still high—Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) increased its net profit in Russia by 8.2% year-on-year to €326mn in 1Q24, with the share of Russian business ... ...
- + Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry calls on world to reject the legitimacy of Putin’s presidency —Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it does not recognise Vladimir Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia the d...
- + Uzbekistan says something concrete yet to emerge from nuclear plant construction talks with Russia—Nothing concrete has yet emerged from Uzbekistan and Russia’s talks on constructing the Central Asian country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP), ... [...
- + Russian technology imports at pre-war levels, tougher export controls needed – Bruegel—Russia’s imports of Western technology have reached pre-war levels and the export control regime to stop the trade is full of holes. Tougher rules, en...
- + Russia’s government to change following Putin inauguration—Russian President Vladimir Putin will be sworn in for his fifth term in office on May 7 and according to the Russian constitution the government must ...
- + Russian services PMI of 50.15 just above the no-change benchmark as Russia's economy begins to cool—The seasonally adjusted S&P Global Russia Services PMI Business Activity Index just about broke even, posting 50.5 in April, down from 51.4 in Mar...
- + Russian technology imports a pre-war levels, tougher export controls needed – Bruegel—Russia’s imports of Western technology have reached pre-war levels and the export control regime to stop the trade is full of holes. Tougher rules, en...
- + Hungary gears up for visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping—Hungarian government's invitation to Xi on Europe Day and the 20th anniversary of Hungary's accession to the bloc is a blatant message to the EU. [Aut...
- + Mood in Polish manufacturing falls to six-month low —Poland's Purchasing Managers' Index fell 2.1 points to 45.9 in April. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Wave of protests evolves into a serious challenge to Georgian Dream rule—Weeks of protests against the Georgian government’s Russian-style "foreign agents" bill have created a spirit of resistance that now poses a serious c...
- + RAGOZIN: Exhausting Russia, strategies and fantasies—The long-delayed allocation of $61bn by the US Congress gives Ukraine yet another chance to negotiate peace with Russia without losing even more lives...
- + Mood in Polish manufacturing falls to six-month low as downturn has now lasted two years—Poland's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell 2.1 points to 45.9 in March ... [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + OECD raises Russia growth forecast to 2.6% for 2024—The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has increased its GDP growth projection for Russia in 2024 from 1.8% to 2.6% in 2024...
- + The price cap on Russian oil is becoming increasingly unenforceable, says Mutual Insurance Club—The price cap on Russian oil is becoming increasingly unenforceable, said the International Group of P&I Clubs, or so-called Mutual Insurance Club...
- + Turkey reportedly still loading Azerbaijani oil for Israel despite “total trade ban”—Trade ministry said “all products” are subject to boycott, but tankers on Ceyhan to Haifa crude export route appear unaffected. [Author: bne IntelliNe...
- + The State of World Press Freedom—The 2024 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was released today. This year, the agency highlights a “worrying decl...
- + Understanding Business Sentiment in Ukraine: Q2 2024 Benchmarking Survey – UBN Network—[KYIV, UBN Network, May 5, 2024] - Understanding Business Sentiment in Ukraine: Q2 2024 Benchmarking SurveyMany executives are ... [Author:...
- + Live fish fall from the sky in Central Iran - video —In what looks similar to some sort of Biblical miracle, large live fish fell from the sky in Yasouj, a city in Central Iran, and were left flapping on...
- + Rights groups call on Tajikistan to disclose whereabouts of “forcibly disappeared” opposition leader—“Devastating reports” say Suhrob Zafar may have lost ability to walk following torture. Turkey suspected of role in rendition. [Author: bne IntelliNew...
- + Annual inflation Uzbekistan edges up to 8.1% in April from 8.0% in March—Inflation in Uzbekistan was in April recorded at 0.93% m/m and 8.08% y/y, according to the national ... [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russia’s car sector makes almost full recovery from sanctions shock —After coming to a total stand still in the months after the invasion of Ukraine two years ago, Russia's automotive sector has almost made a complete r...
- + Official Turkish inflation edges up in April, bordering on 70%—Alternative reading from economists is 124%. Analyst predicts central bank won’t shift to rate cuts until next year. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + KSE: Russian oil revenues rising, tougher sanctions needed on shadow fleet—Russian oil export revenues surged to $17.2bn in March 2024, driven by higher global oil prices and increased crude export volumes, according to the A...
- + CENUSA: (Geo)political polarisation in Georgia and Moldova and what is at stake for the EU and Russia—Under the influence of electoral calculations for the year 2024, political processes in Georgia and Moldova have acquired a geopolitical component of ...
- + PMI shows Kazakhstan manufacturing sector remained in growth mode during April despite flooding disaster—Firms successfully secure new business with competitive pricing strategies. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Turkey’s headline manufacturing PMI drops from 50.0 no-change mark to 49.3—Sustained slowdown in new orders feeds through to renewed moderation in output. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Nigeria set to approve Seplat's acquisition of ExxonMobil assets within two weeks—The Nigerian government is poised to greenlight ExxonMobil's $1.28bn asset sale to Seplat Energy within the next two weeks, pending resolution on crit...
- + Uzbekistan's 4M24 budget deficit hits $2bn, sparking fiscal concerns—The state budget deficit of Uzbekistan, amounting to Uzbekistani som (UZS) 25.6 trillion ($2.0bn) in the first four months of 2024, has surpassed ... ...
- + Serbs see Russians as main ally, US as biggest threat —IRI’s Western Balkan survey also reveals Albanians and Kosovars most committed to EU and Nato membership; support flagging in other countries. [Author...
- + EBRD backs OTP Leasing to boost SME financing in Ukraine—The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has stepped in to bolster financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in ... [...
- + OTP reportedly makes bid to buy Tallinn-based Luminor Bank—Luminor is the third-largest bank in the Baltic states and is reportedly valued at more than €2bn. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + Czech central bank lowers interest rate to 5.25%—CNB also improves its economic outlook for this year to 1.4% growth, up from the 0.4% growth it predicted in February. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + RAGOZIN: Exhausting Russia, strategies and phantasies—The long-delayed allocation of $61bn by the US Congress gives Ukraine yet another chance to negotiate peace with Russia without losing even more lives...
- + Czech PMI deteriorates in April—S&P highlighted stronger contractions in production and weak client demand amid the burdens of the difficult manufacturing environment, which was ...
- + Putin promises long-term stability, a more equitable tax regime in the up-coming tax reform —Russian President Vladimir Putin promised a planned tax overhaul would increase inflows to the state budget, benefit low-income families and provide l...
- + Turkey reportedly freezes all trade with Israel—Under pressure from religious conservatives, Turkish leader Erdogan is said to have blocked all exports and imports. Move draws angry rebuke from Isra...
- + PANNIER: Kazakhstan helping to get wheels turning on Afghanistan railway projects—Growing optimism on ambitions to link Central Asia via Afghan territory to Pakistan’s Arabian Sea ports, the Gulf and Iran. [Author: Bruce Pannier]
- + Mirziyoyev commends $74bn of foreign investment and IFI inflows as third Tashkent International Investment Forum kicks off—The foreign investment inflow into Uzbekistan has topped $60bn in recent years, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted as the third Tashkent ... [Author: ...
- + German chancellor says 4-year timeline for Montenegro's EU membership is realistic—Montenegro is the closest to accession among the Western Balkan countries, but progress has been stalled by political instability in recent years. [Au...
- + Atlantic Lithium approved to list on Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE)—Atlantic Lithium Ltd., an African-focused lithium exploration and development company targeting to deliver Ghana's first lithium mine, has been ... [A...
- + Shocking trial of ex-minister has shifted domestic violence attitudes in Kazakhstan, says brother—Country’s first court hearing to be screened online has included CCTV showing how wife died after torturous beating that lasted several hours. [Author...
- + Russia’s manufacturing PMI remains at robust 54.3 in April —The seasonally adjusted S&P Global Russia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) posted 54.3 in April, down from 55.7 in March, as ... [Au...
- + Orban's government opts not to commemorate 20th membership of EU accession—Hungary has slid to second poorest member state under Hungarian strongman's corrupt rule. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Croatian company transforms textile waste into hydrogen—Successful pilot project for processing waste textiles to produce hydrogen may help to address global fashion industry's annual 92mn tonnes of textile...
- + Slovak parliament moves closer to approving foreign agent bill aimed at NGOs—NGOs which receive more than €5,000 from outside of Slovakia will be labelled “organisations with foreign support”. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Czech GDP grew by 0.4% y/y in the Q1 2024—The estimate released by the Czech Statistical Office follows a GDP drop of 0.8% in the third quarter of 2023 and a growth of 0.4% in Q4. Following th...
- + Uzbekistan IT outsourcing is open for business —Uzbekistan’s outsourcing is open for business and the ICT Ministry together with the country’s IT Park have taken the show on the road with an enticin...
- + Russia doesn’t like taking a back seat to China in Central Asia trade—But domestic economic woes may be slowing Beijing’s exports. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + Fighting breaks out in Georgian parliament, halting vote on 'foreign agents' law—A debate to approve Georgia’s controversial 'foreign agents' bill in its second reading was disrupted after fights broke out in the chamber between me...
- + Russia is producing weapons at a record pace, and Ukraine’s partners are trying to increase support for Kyiv—Russia is producing weapons at a record pace, and Ukraine’s partners are trying to increase support. Over the past year, Russia has learned to develo...
- + ‘Accession bonus’ gave new EU members advantage over fellow emerging markets—EBRD research shows GDP per capita in 8 CEE countries that joined the EU in 2004 has close to doubled as a share of Germany’s GDP per capita. [Author:...
- + 20 years after accession 'big bang' wiiw economists say CEE needs a new model to catch up with the West —Eastern EU members are growing much faster than the eurozone, but must focus more on innovation for a full catchup. [Author: Clare Nuttall in Glasgow]
- + Georgian protests become test of strength between government and civil society —Police have used pepper spray, water cannons, tear gas, stun grenades and beatings to try to clear the streets. [Author: Tornike Mandaria in Tbilisi]
- + Fighting breaks out in Georgian parliament, halting vote on 'foreign agents' law—A debate to approve Georgia’s controversial 'foreign agents' bill in the second reading was disrupted after fights broke out in the chamber between me...
- + Fighting breaks out amongst Georgia parliamentary deputies halting a vote on the foreign agents law—A debate to approve Georgia’s controversial foreign agents bill in the second reading was disrupted after fights broke out in the chamber between memb...
- + Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian oil refineries cause domestic petrol prices to surge—Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries are causing a shortage of petrol on the domestic markets and sent prices at the pump surging in the ...
- + Russia is producing weapons at a record pace, and Ukraine’s partners are trying to increase support—Russia is producing weapons at a record pace, and Ukraine’s partners are trying to increase support. Over the past year, Russia has learned to develo...
- + Fighting between protestors and riot police breaks out in Tbilisi —Baton-wielding riot police attacked protestors, firing rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of demonstrators in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi la...
- + Uzbekistan announces $500mn in backing for projects in rare earths—Uzbekistan is to invest $500mn in backing promising projects in the mining of rare earth elements (REE), the presidential press service has ... [Autho...
- + #BREAKING: Fighting between protestors and riot police breaks out in Tbilisi —Baton wielding riot police attacked protestors, firing rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of demonstrators in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi l...
- + Polish CPI picks up growth to 2.4% y/y in April, flash estimate shows—Polish CPI grew 2.4% year on year in April (chart), just below the consensus line of 2.5% y/y and 0.4pp above the March reading, a flash estimate from...
- + Lithuanian leaders back sending 29,000 military-age men back to Ukraine—Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte believe that Lithuania should help Ukraine get back its military-age men livi...
- + MOSCOW BLOG: foreign agents and bank sector clean ups – the FSU still looks to Russia for ideas—Georgian oligarch and éminence grise Bidzina Ivanishvili gave a very bonkers speech on April 29 at the pro-government rally in Tbilisi that has been r...
- + Preliminary Q1 GDP data shows Hungarian economy posts modest rebound—GDP grew 1.1% year on year in Q1 and by 1.7% when adjusted for calendar effects. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + Top Russian mobile operator MTS announces $86.5mn share buyback—Russia’s biggest mobile phone operator MTS is offering its international investors whose shares have been trapped in Russia by sanctions an opportunit...
- + Serbia's new government to have ministers under US sanctions for Russia links—Former spy chief Aleksandar Vulin, dubbed ‘Moscow’s man’ in Belgrade, to join Milos Vucevic’s new cabinet. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Central European populism bites the hand that feeds it—20 years after Central European accession, the region's populists presents a grave threat to the EU's fundamental values [Author: Robert Anderson in P...
- + World's longest-serving central bank chief heading for another term in Romania —PM Marcel Ciolacu wants Mugur Isarescu to continue in post he has held since 1990 to ensure monetary stability. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + European banks still in Russia see profits quadruple, pay over €800mn in taxes —Western banks that have continued operations in Russia paid more than €800mn in taxes last year, marking a fourfold increase from pre-war levels, desp...
- + Kosovo to become first Muslim-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage—PM Albin Kurti's government plans to legalise same-sex marriages in May, as Pristina aims for Council of Europe membership. [Author: Valentina Dimitri...
- + Czech police point to Russia's GRU as investigation into ammunition explosion is shelved—Czech interior minister says that Russia is “transgressing valid international agreements” after it refused to cooperate with Czech authorities on the...
- + Georgian oligarch Ivanishvili advocates repression, blames Western “Party of War” for country’s ills —Founder of Georgian Dream's strong comments indicate that the party is not planning to back down, despite big demonstrations against the 'foreign agen...
- + Poland’s Tusk orders thorough probe into Orlen’s $370mn botched oil deal—Orlen's PiS-appointed CEO reportedly disregarded warnings from the company's security team about head of Swiss subsidiary's alleged Hezbollah links. [...
- + France's EDF seen as favourite as Czech nuclear tender enters next stage—It is already clear that the estimated price of CZK160bn (€6.4bn), which the Czech government calculated in 2020, will be exceeded. [Author: Albin Syb...
- + European bank still in Russia see profits quadruple, pay over €800mn in taxes —Western banks that have continued operations in Russia paid more than €800mn in taxes last year, marking a fourfold increase from pre-war levels, desp...
- + Agri Europe Cyprus led by Serbian businessman plans offer to acquire additional shares in Addiko Bank in May—Agri Europe Cyprus, a holding owned by Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostic, is preparing to announce an offer to acquire additional shares of ... [Auth...
- + Russia’s Sberbank (Sber) posts $4.3bn IFRS net profit in 1Q24—Russia’s largest lender state-controlled Sberbank (Sber) posted an 11.3% year on year increase in IFRS net profit to RUB397bn ($4.3bn) in 1Q24. ... [A...
- + Lithuania's Siauliu Bankas boosts Q1 net profit 17% to €22.5mn—Lithuania's Siauliu Bankas Group reported €22.5mn in first-quarter net profits, up 17% compared to a year ago, BNS, a Lithuanian newswire, ... [A...
- + Putin did not order death of Navalny, US intelligence agencies conclude—US intelligence agencies do not believe that the death of Alexey Navalny was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the Wall Street Journal has reported...
- + Tajikistan protests to Russia over treatment of citizens with 1,000 stranded at Moscow airport—Central Asians have faced xenophobic backlash since March terror attack allegedly committed by Tajik gunmen. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + COMMENT: Testing the limits – the politics of EU membership in CEE 20 years after accession—Apathy and lack of trust in national institutions, combined with ‘convergence fatigue’, have created favourable conditions for populist forces that ha...
- + Fallen Turkish startup delivery star Getir exits Europe, US—Rapid groceries firm shot to commercial stardom on back of covid lockdowns. Post-pandemic, its valuation collapsed. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + COMMENT: Aliyev continues to block the chance of peace in the South Caucasus—Although Armenia and Azerbaijan are now the closest they have been to signing a peace treaty in the last 30 years, there is a high probability that it...
- + Why are Russian peacekeepers leaving Karabakh?—The early withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from the Karabakh region in Azerbaijan is a pivotal event for the South Caucasus. [Author:...
- + Startup Defence Builder to build drones and technology requested by the army—Ukraine has witnessed a surge in defence tech innovation initiatives. Defence Builder is a startup accelerator aimed at fostering collaboration betwee...
- + COMMENT: Ukraine’s macro risks remain manageable - ICU—Ukraine’s economy has proven to be resilient and is beginning to recover. But the weight of the war is still weighing heavily on the country and Russi...
- + THE VIEW FROM MITTELEUROPA: Has EU enlargement been an economic success story?—20 years after the accession of Central Europe, EU enlargement can be seen as an engine of economic growth, even if it was not a success everywhere an...
- + Uncut diamond giant Alrosa must sell stake in Angola's Catoca, Russian deputy FM says—Russian uncut diamond major Alrosa will have to sell its stake in Angola's Catoca diamond mining company owing to the latter's concerns about the ... ...
- + Mauritania taps German tech firm G+D to design its central bank digital currency (CBDC)—Mauritania has partnered with German tech company Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) to design its central bank digital currency (CBDC) but has not committed to ...
- + Poland facing arbitration over Warburg Pincus' complaint about rules limiting pharmacies—Polish legislation limits pharmacy ownership to pharmacists only, restricts opening of new pharmacies near existing ones, and sets a cap where one own...
- + Poland signs $1.6bn deal with South Korea for Chunmoo rocket artillery systems and missiles—A significant portion of Poland's new military acquisitions has come from South Korea, including light combat aircraft, tanks and self-propelled howit...
- + Hungary’s OTP makes reported record bid for EU bank —Hungarian lender says target is in an EU country in which OTP did not have a presence, triggering speculation. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + Czech tycoon Kretinsky enters steel business with 20% stake in Thyssenkrupp—EP is in talks to acquire a further 30% of the steel business in a pursuit of forming a 50:50 joint venture. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Fitch believes Bulgaria unlikely to enter eurozone in January 2025—Return to political instability has put Sofia’s eurozone entry target date at risk. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russia’s Economic Ministry issues bleak economic stress test scenario —Russia's Finance Ministry ran an extreme stress test on the economy for this year that assumes zero growth, a weakening ruble and falling oil and gas ...
- + Orban uses CPAC to bolster role in growing 'anti-globalist' coalition—Orban is admired by representatives of the Trumpist US right-wing for his tough immigration policies and advocacy for families and Christian conservat...
- + Moldova’s industrial output shows signs of recovery in February—More abundant and cheaper gas this year creates opportunity for resumption of industrial activity in Moldova. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Police use pepper spray on demonstrators in Tbilisi protesting against foreign agents law—Tensions soared in central Tbilisi after thousands of demonstrators filled the centre of the city on April 28 to protest against the so-called foreign...
- + Russian MTS Bank raises $125mn in IPO on Moscow Exchange—Russian MTS Bank completed an initial public offering (IPO) at the upper end of the price range of RUB2,500 per share, floating 13.3% of the shares .....
- + Russia’s VTB Bank surprises on 1Q24 profit of $1.3bn—Russia’s second-largest bank, state-controlled VTB Bank, posted RUB122bn ($1.3bn) net profit in 1Q24, making a return on equity (ROE) of 22%. ... [Aut...
- + Swedbank Lithuania's Q1 net profit down 15% y/y to €84mn, revenue up 25%—Swedbank Lithuania, one of the country's largest Scandinavian banks, said that its first-quarter net profit fell by 15.2% year on year to ... [Author:...
- + SEB Lithuania's Q1 profit edges down by 2% to €74.2mn—SEB, one of Lithuania's largest banks by assets, earned a non-audited net profit of €74.2mn in January-March, down by 2% from the same period last ......
- + Europe’s top human rights body has no plans to sanction Turkey over failure to free Kavala—No willingness on part of member states to penalise Ankara amid Ukraine war and other crises requiring solidarity, says Council of Europe. [Author: bn...
- + Gaza aid flotilla unable to depart Turkey after Guinea-Bissau withdraws vessel flagging—Organisers of mercy mission say Israel pressured West African nation. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Ukraine waits impatiently for new US ammunition as intense Russian attacks continue —Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot air defence systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, urging allies “not to waste time,” in his dail...
- + It’s no slip-up, there are almost no bananas in Turkmenistan—Analysis shows Turkmens consume less than one banana per person per year. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + MTS ANNOUNCES A TENDER OFFER TO SHAREHOLDERS FOR ITS ORDINARY SHARES —The company announces a tender offer for up to 83,932,026 MTS shares (4.2% of all MTS shares) to provide investors additional options to exit ... [Aut...
- + Saddam-era Iraqi howitzers get delivered to Ukraine—Weapons once belonging to Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime are now being delivered to Ukraine via the Baltic Sea in the strangest of dev...
- + Fears grow of Russian interference in Central European media space —At the same time, in Poland and Hungary, social networking sites and messaging apps are considered more free and more trustworthy than mainstream medi...
- + Russia’s CBR maintains key rate at 16%—The board of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) resolved to keep the key interest rate unchanged at 16% at the policy meeting on April 26, making a thir...
- + Cheap Russian drones overwhelm US-made Abrams tanks, taken out of action —Ukrainian forces are withdrawing U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks from the front lines after at least 5 have been destroyed by cheap Russian dro...
- + Germany charges seven Central Asians with forming terror group—Five are Tajik nationals. Headache for Rahmon regime with Tajikistan looking increasingly like a major recruiting ground for international terrorists....
- + Ghana inks nuclear power agreement with China, advancing clean energy goals—Nuclear Power Ghana Limited and China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas Limited have sealed a deal, marking a milestone in Ghana's energy ... [Aut...
- + NBU cuts rates 100bp to 13.5% on falling inflation—The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) lowered the key policy rate by 100bp to 13.5% on April 25 and improved its inflation forecast as price pressure eas...
- + Romania already exceeded EU’s 2030 green transition target—By 2022, Romania had brought its greenhouse gas emissions down by 56% compared to 1990, above the 55% target set by the EU. [Author: Iulian Ernst in B...
- + Bulgaria to lose €665mn under recovery plan after delaying liberalisation of power market—Experts suggest the country could lose all of the remaining €4.4bn allocated under the recovery plan over delayed or failed reforms. [Author: Denitsa ...
- + Ahold Delhaize picks Bucharest for new technology hub—Belgian retail group to hire 250 experts to develop applications for all the group’s brands across Europe. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + BOFIT: The long-awaited new US aid package brings military support to Ukraine—After a long wait, the US aid package for Ukraine of almost $61bn got the last seal with President Biden's signature on April 24, 2024. The sizeable p...
- + IMF: Sub-Saharan Africa's growth requires quality education for growing population —Demographic transition may be the biggest single opportunity for the economies of sub-Saharan Africa, but countries will only be able to enjoy the div...
- + South Africa needs surplus electricity from solar plants, says minister—South Africa’s Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has called for discussions to assess ways of making surplus electricity from existing ... [A...
- + Orban: Hungary is island in the European progressive liberal ocean—“We must drain the swamp in Brussels in June and in Washington in November,” Hungarian premier says. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + European Parliament rules Russia’s presidential election illegitimate, calls Putin a "murderer"—In a sting blow for the Kremlin, the European Parliament ruled that Russia’s presidential election was illegitimate and blamed Russian President Vladi...
- + Poland in two minds over Ukraine’s efforts to bring conscription-age men home—Poland is ready to help Ukraine bring conscription-age men home after Kyiv stepped up its mobilisation effort, a top government official said this wee...
- + Sunak and Scholz promise to back Ukraine as UK hikes defence spending—British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin and promised closer defence cooperation as the UK announced a larg...
- + Kuwait reacts angrily to being cut out of Iraq and Turkey’s transport project —Kuwait witnessed a wave of angry reactions on April 25 after Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey signed a quadrilateral memorandum of und...
- + Turkey keeps policy rate constant at 50%—Central bank is, notably, no longer talking about building up its reserves in parallel with so-called monetary framework simplification policy. [Autho...
- + Bankers reassessing accelerating climate crisis in anticipation of trillions of dollars of annual damage—As the climate crisis accelerates, banks are facing increasing financial risks and have begun to try to assess their exposure to the trillions of doll...
- + Unpacking the return of Venezuela oil sanctions—The United States has decided not to renew General Licence 44, which previously authorised transactions linked to Venezuela's oil and gas sector, pena...
- + EU warns Georgia that 'foreign agents' bill could block accession hopes —The European Parliament has called for Georgia’s accession process to be suspended if the Georgian parliament passes the so-called “foreign agent" la...
- + Russia for first time overtakes Turkmenistan in gas exports to China—Russia in February for the first time overtook Turkmenistan on a monthly basis to become the largest pipeline supplier of natural gas to China, ... [A...
- + Zimbabwe commits to annual independent audits of its gold reserves underpinning new ZiG currency—Zimbabwe's government will ensure its gold reserves which underpin its newly-introduced currency, would be independently audited once yearly, The ... ...
- + Uzbekistan’s key rate held at 14% as central bank points to fears over reacceleration of inflation—Uzbekistan's central bank on April 25 kept its benchmark interest rate on hold at 14%, pointing to risks that inflation could once more accelerate. .....
- + Putinomics: Russia’s oil and gas revenue to double in April —Russia’s oil and gas revenues surged in the first three months of this year by 79%, but Reuters calculated they will double in April compared to the s...
- + Russia already treating Bosnia’s Republika Srpska as an independent state—Use of Republika Srpska’s flag alongside national flags at St Petersburg conference seen as a possible green light by Russia for Bosnian Serb leader M...
- + North Macedonia’s opposition VMRO-DPMNE candidate takes strong lead in first round of presidential election—Incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski trails Gordana Siljanovska Davkova as voters punish ruling SDSM. [Author: Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje]
- + CEE recovering but no full rebound in sight, says wiiw—Germany’s slow recovery is dampening growth prospects for Central and Southeast European economies. [Author: Clare Nuttall in Glasgow]
- + Slovakia’s cabinet approves legislation to restructure public broadcaster—New bill will allow government to change leadership of party broadcaster, while 'ethical council' will oversee content. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Ukraine recovery: the mountain to climb—A new report released by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) estimates the total damages from the Ukraine war at between $485bn and $1 tril...
- + Iraq recovers thousands of antiquities, calls for antiquities law reform—Iraq's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities has received thousands of returned archaeological pieces following a push by the central governmen...
- + US secretly sent long-range missiles to Ukraine in February—The US secretly sent Ukraine long-range missiles in February ahead of the new $61bn aid package on April 20 that Kyiv used for the first time this wee...
- + South Africa launches cryptocurrency study—South Africa’s central bank has initiated studies to explore the feasibility of permitting fiat-backed stable coins to undergo testing within a ... [A...
- + Russian Deputy Defence Minister suspected of treason, say reports—Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, arrested on April 23 on charges of bribery, may actually have been arrested for treason, independent Rus...
- + The models are wrong, climate change is accelerating faster than predicted—Scientists are starting to realise that the climate models they have been using to predict the rate of global warming are wrong as it becomes clear te...
- + Romanian consumer protection body begins investigation into Temu and Shein—ANPC reportedly suspects violations of legislation on product safety and consumer protection through tactics such as inauthentic discounts, aggressive...
- + Iran presses Afghanistan's Taliban to uphold water-sharing agreement —An Iranian environmental official accused the Afghan Taliban of intentionally redirecting overflow waters of the shared Hirmand River to prevent its i...
- + Tajikistan striving to convince the world that it can contain terrorism—Dushanbe’s strategy ignores underlying sources of radicalisation. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + IMF: Paying Africa’s Climate bill —The world's poorest countries, especially those in Africa, are struggling to pay for a climate crisis they cannot afford. [Author: MICHAEL OLABISI is ...
- + Saudi Arabia eyes 320,000 new hotel rooms to meet soaring tourism goals—Saudi Arabia is projected to have 320,000 new hotel rooms by 2030 as the Kingdom ramps up efforts to accommodate an annual influx of 150mn tourists, b...
- + ENRG advances surveying at Niger uranium project Agadez within highly prospective Tim Mersoi Basin—ENRG Elements, which focuses on exploring and developing uranium and copper projects, has used radiometrics and a recent trenching program to identify...
- + Record rainfall hits Kyiv as meteorologists warn of flood risk—Meteorologists in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv recorded unprecedented rainfall ... [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Hidroelectrica effect sets off new wave of IPOs on Bucharest Stock Exchange —Both Premier Energy and JT Grup Oil have announced listing plans in recent days after hydropower giant gave boost to the market with 2023 IPO. [Author...
- + Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and UAE ink initial Development Road transit corridor agreement—Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and UAE have inked a preliminary agreement to cooperate on the Development Road project, which envisages the transit of goods ... ...
- + Romanian fuel distribution company JT Grup Oil plans Bucharest IPO—IPO announcement comes after Premier Energy announced a similar step earlier in April. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + Ukraine's DTEK seeks $350mn to restore energy capacity after Russian attacks—Ukraine's leading private energy company, DTEK, has sounded the alarm, indicating an urgent need for $350mn to recuperate lost capacity from war damag...
- + Serbia takes aim at investment grade rating from S&P by end-2024—Earlier this month, S&P upgraded its outlook on Serbia to positive from stable, maintaining the country's 'BB+/B' ratings. [Author: bne IntelliNew...
- + China takes the lead in green technology —China has taken the lead in green technology. President Xi Jinping highlighting the country's dominance in key segments of this burgeoning industry th...
- + Russian oil depo at Yartsevo in the Smolensk region set on fire by Ukrainian drone attack —Ukraine drones hit and set on fire the RosNeft oil depot in the Yartsevo, Smolensk region as the sun began to rise on April 24. [Author: bne IntelliNe...
- + More than €15bn of Chinese investments underway in Hungary, says foreign minister—Hungary has become the primary European destination of Chinese corporate investments, with a string of investments targeting the battery industry. [Au...
- + Hungarian rate-setters slow pace of rate cuts to 50bp at April meeting—The Monetary Council of the National Bank (MNB) reduced the base rate by 50bp to 7.75% in line with projections, slowing down the pace of monetary eas...
- + Slovak unemployment inched further down to 3.88% in March—March unemployment in Slovakia was 3.88%, which is marginally down from 3.92% in February and 0.41 percentage points lower year on year.There ... [Aut...
- + Poland’s industrial production disappoints in March as output declines 6% y/y —Poland’s industrial production fell 6% year on year in constant prices in March (chart), after a gain of 3.3% y/y the preceding month, unadjusted data...
- + Unstable dams mean Chernobyl-scale nuclear disaster threatens Central Asia’s Fergana valley —Studies show Soviet-era radioactive waste disposal facilities became unreliable following 2017 landslide. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Zimbabwe nabs 65 illegal currency traders as new gold-backed ZIG slides on parallel market—Zimbabwe's government has, in response to a depreciation of a currency introduced on April 8, arrested 65 alleged illegal currency dealers and closed ...
- + How Kazakhstan leveraged “uranium power” to hold reins in nuclear fuel dealings with China—Researcher says Kazakhstan is no mere “node in Beijing’s transregional geoeconomic strategy”. Such thinking obscures Chinese actors’ adaptive approach...
- + South Africa's Zuma tries to sell carbon credits to Russian NGO after Zimbabwe failure —Jacob Zuma is discussing trading carbon credits with a Russian NGO, facilitated by a new Belarusian entity, in a “puzzling shift to environmental trad...
- + Egypt's mineral wealth: shifting away from oil and gas dependence—Egypt has a big opportunity to diversify its economy away from reliance on oil and gas by exploiting the country’s largely untapped mineral wealth. [A...
- + COMMENT: The EU's policy dilemma in Georgia – choosing between bad and worse—Freezing Georgia’s progress towards EU accession over the ‘foreign agents’ bill could alienate the Georgian population and bring much joy to the EU’s ...
- + Czech prosecutors indict former president's top aide for embezzlement—Vratislav Mynar was at the centre of many of the scandals surrounding Milos Zeman's two terms as president. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + President Duda says Poland 'ready' to host nuclear weapons—Government queries president's comments, while Moscow attacks them as "provocative". [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Future of Emerging Europe’s hybrid regimes hangs in the balance —With Emerging Europe increasingly polarised between democracies and authoritarian states, it is unclear in which direction the hybrid regimes – which ...
- + Tajik foreign minister hits out at Russia’s apparent torturing of terrorism accused—"Use of torture in form of bodily mutilation unacceptable. Price of confessions extracted this way well known to everyone," says Sirojiddin Muhriddin....
- + Central Asian states have a coal dependency problem – report—Coal addiction in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan fuels regional global warming conundrum. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + Iran escalates hijab crackdown amid heightened regional tensions—As Iran grapples with growing regional tensions with Israel, the police forces across the country have announced the resumed enforcement of mandatory ...
- + TEL AVIV BLOG: Experiences on the ground in Israel as Iran strikes—Since October 7, tension has gripped the air in Israel with a tighter grasp than I’ve ever experienced in previous conflicts. [Author: Mathew Cohen in...
- + Gulf Arab states urge restraint in Israel, Iran escalation—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have expressed deep concerns over the recent military escalation in the Middle East following Iran's...
- + Iran summons British, French, German envoys over stance on retaliatory attack—Iran's foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany on April 14 for their respective countries' "irresponsible positions" ...
- + Iran cancels all flights to all airports amid tension with Israel —Iran has suspended all flights to and from major airports until April 15th due to ongoing tensions with Israel following Iran's retaliatory strikes on...
- + Iran's attempt at a "Goldilocks retaliation" strike on Israel was designed to fail, but tensions remain high—Iran launched its first ever direct military attack on Israel on April 13 after decades of proxy war hostilities. As the dust settles the following mo...
- + Estonia’s interior minister set to classify Moscow Patriarchate church as terror organisation—Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said he is set to propose to the country’s parliament Riigikogu that they declare the Moscow-based Orthodox...
- + Iran's President Raisi vows severe retaliation against Israel after missile strikes—Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a stern warning to Israel on April 14, stating that Iran's armed forces will deliver a "heavier and more regret...
- + Iran announces end of retaliatory operation on Israel, no intention to continue —Mohammad Baqeri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, said Iran's strike on Israel had successfully concluded. [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + Iran vs Israel: Who is better equipped for war?—The spark has been lit, and the drumbeats of war are sounding in the tumultuous Middle East. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + BREAKING: Iraq, Syria and Jordan close airspace amid Iranian strike on Israel—Iraqi Minister of Transport Razzaq Al-Saadawi has announced the closure of Iraqi airspace [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + BREAKING: Iran launches dozens of drones headed for Israel —Iran has launched dozens of drones from the west of the country, which are currently headed toward Israel. [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + Netanyahu family wait at billionaire’s missile-proof house in Jerusalem—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara spent the weekend at the luxury villa of American billionaire Simon Falic in Jerusalem. [A...
- + How much damage can Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian oil refineries do? —Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainian drones have attacked over two dozen Russian oil refineries and several oil depots in the first sustained ca...
- + Iranian MP says Tehran will not initiate war but could 'eliminate' Israel—Mojtaba Zonouri, the vice speaker of the Iranian parliament, said Iran has no intention of initiating a war but could “eliminate” Israel. [Author: bne...
- + Poland’s ruling coalition pushes forward with conflicting proposals on changing abortion law—A special commission will now look at the proposals in order to hammer out a compromise text. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Global airlines suspend flights to and over Iran—KLM of the Netherlands, Qantas of Australia and Austrian Airlines have suspended flights over Iran, and Germany's Lufthansa has stopped flying into th...
- + Global warming and war redraws undersea internet cable connections map —A 14,500-kilometre subsea cable project in the Arctic will redraw the international data traffic route, offering a strategic alternative away from vul...
- + BOFIT: Russia’s overall economic performance steady in February; construction investment has supported wartime growth—The central factor supporting Russian economic growth last year was the sharp increase in fixed capital investment. Increased budget spending was also...
- + PANNIER: Caspian military drills that exclude Russia and Iran have some people in Moscow asking questions—Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan going ahead with “Birlestik-2024”. Russian consternation is growing. [Author: Bruce Pann...
- + ISTANBUL BLOG: Erdogan drone boys become Forbes billionaires—To some, Selcuk Bayraktar is seen as the likely next Turkish president. But staying out of trolling spats over Israel “deliveries” might be good advic...
- + South Africa’s power utility Eskom aims to limit unplanned breakdowns during winter—South Africa’s state-owned electricity utility Eskom is poised to unveil its winter outlook by the end of April but cautions that nationally ... [Auth...
- + CEE falling inflation trend comes to an end—After spiking to 20-year highs thanks to the pandemic and Europe’s Russian induced energy crisis, inflation rates across the EU have tumbled in recent...
- + Hungary announces postponement of investments to meet new deficit target—Analysts calculate that the postponement of HUF675bn (€1.73bn) of state investments will not be enough and that some HUF1.1 trillion of fiscal consoli...
- + Russia's military forces are 15% bigger than they were at start of war, says US intelligence—Russia is reconstituting its army far faster than initial estimates suggested, US Army General Christopher Cavoli, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander in ...
- + Poland’s Orlen paid $400mn to scammers for oil that never arrived—'National champion' oil group humiliated by deal with unchecked middleman in scandal that only emerged after dismissal of CEO appointed by PiS governm...
- + Russian coal exports barely break even—Export prices for Russian thermal coal have fallen to their lowest since 2021 due to low demand in major export markets that are being served from the...
- + Lukoil expands in Kazakhstan—Lukoil is expanding its oil and gas operations in Kazakhstan, amid limited overseas opportunities for the company because of Russia’s increased intern...
- + Viktor Orban blasts Migration Pact as "another nail in the coffin" of EU—"The MigrationPact is another nail in the coffin of the European Union. Unity is dead, secure borders are no more. Hungary will never give in to the m...
- + MOL opens largest green hydrogen plant near Budapest in CEE region—Hungarian oil and gas giant MOL has inaugurated one of Europe's largest green hydrogen plants and the biggest in CEE to support refinery operations at...
- + Czech opposition tries to hold parliamentary session on PM’s financial affairs—Fiala had a holding in PDZ fund suspected of money laundering. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Hungary’s CPI edges lower, but price pressures remain in service sector—Consumer prices in Hungary rose 3.6% y/y in March, but services' prices rose almost 10%. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + COMMENT: The Three Seas Initiative's digital imperative —While digital infrastructure in the region is growing, support infrastructure designed to handle the growth in demand is what requires investment. [Au...
- + Western intelligence: Iran is preparing to attack Israel—The already fragile security landscape in the Middle East has been rocked by the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, with the spectre of an even...
- + Kyrgyzstan now a country marked by “broader Central Asian trend of authoritarian consolidation”, says Freedom House report—Kyrgyzstan is a country now marked by the “broader Central Asian trend of authoritarian consolidation”, according to the newly released Freedom ... [A...
- + Poland begins big abortion debate that could rock Tusk government—Conservative coalition deputies likely to vote down liberalisation, resulting in a spectacular government defeat. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Administered price hikes will take bite out of Uzbekistan growth, says ADB report—Uzbekistan’s growth rate is forecast to weaken to 5.5% in 2024 from last year’s 6% and 2022’s 5.7%, according to the newly released ... [Author: bne I...
- + IEA: Methane emissions at an all-time high need to be reduced by 75% by 2030 at a cost of $170bn—Methane emissions are 80 times more damaging than carbon dioxide. Rather than falling, they are currently at an all-time high and rising. The IEA says...
- + Ukraine's ammo crisis mounts on stalled US aid—General Christopher Cavoli, the top US commander in Europe, cautioned during a congressional hearing on April 10 that Ukraine is on the brink of runni...
- + Poland's Tusk says no to freshly agreed EU migration deal—Poland, Slovakia and Hungary slam European Parliament's migration compromise. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Ghana’s Tema Oil Refinery denies alleged Chinese takeover push amid whistleblower claims—TOR, a 45,000-bpd facility, has been plagued by issues since an explosion at its crude distillation unit in early 2017 and was closed completely betwe...
- + 100,000 forced from homes in Kazakhstan by “biblical” flooding linked to climate change—Rapid snowmelt amid sudden weather change, combined with heavy rains and already waterlogged ground prove a disastrous combination. [Author: Kanat Sha...
- + The EU is preparing a new, fourteenth package of sanctions—The EU is preparing a new fourteenth package of sanctions that is slated for adoption in the coming months, but is unlikely to introduce any new produ...
- + CAUCASUS BLOG: What's behind the Georgian government's revival of the foreign agents law?—Bill targeting NGOs and independent media comes as the ruling Georgian Dream party faces a tough challenge at this October's parliamentary elections. ...
- + China moves past India as top importer of Russian crude via sea—China has emerged as the foremost purchaser of Russian seaborne crude, outstripping India's import volumes, according to data from energy cargo tracke...
- + China expanding security footprint in Central Asia—Uzbekistan strives to improve ability to combat extremism, drug trafficking and cybercrime. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + Czechoslovak Group’s revenues rise 71% in 2023 as defence booms—Over 60% of the group’s revenues were generated in the CSG defence division, which specialises in production of ground military equipment and large-ca...
- + E.ON building big solar farm for BMW's Hungarian EV plant—BMW is building a €1bn vehicle plant and a €1bn battery plant in Hungary's fastest-growing industrial hub. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + Russia’s Sber posts $4bn RAS profit in 1Q24—Russia’s largest bank state-controlled Sber (Sberbank) posted RUB129bn profit in March 2024, up by 7% in seasonally adjusted month-on-month terms ... ...
- + Disrupted refining boosts Russian oil exports in March—Russian oil companies significantly increased offshore oil exports to 3.8mn barrels per day in March 2024 amid refinery utilisation problems, up by 5%...
- + EBRD announces profit of €2.1bn in 2023—The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a significant rebound in its financial performance, recording a robust profi...
- + Polish energy stocks fall after government hints at dropping plan to carve out coal assets—Industry minister says new plan is to link coal-fired power plants with specific mines instead. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Slovak industry stagnates in February—Industrial production increased by 0.4% month-on-month. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Czech inflation stagnated at 2% in March —Consumer price indices (inflation) in Czechia remained at 2% in March, the same year-on-year growth as in February, which is the lowest inflation rate...
- + Kremlin tries to link Hunter Biden to financing of Moscow’s Crocus City Hall terrorist massacre —Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation into the financing of terrorism in Russia on April 9, with focus on a board of dire...
- + Chinese investment in electrochemical energy storage facility breaks ground in Uzbekistan—China's largest overseas investment in a single-unit electrochemical energy storage initiative has broken ground in Angren, Uzbekistan. The Rochi ... ...
- + Yakunin wins final appeal in drone flying over Svalbard legal saga—Norway’s Halogaland Court of Appeal concluded a legal saga surrounding British-Russian businessman Andrey Yakunin, the son of Russia’s sanctioned form...
- + Less than 60 companies linked to 80% of GHG emissions since 2016—Just 57 fossil fuel and cement producers were responsible for 80% of global fossil CO2 emissions since the Paris Agreement, says a new report. [Author...
- + US Treasury Secretary won’t rule out tariffs on China’s green exports, EU launches probe —US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, while visiting China, said she will not rule out more tariffs on China’s green exports such as solar products and ...
- + Ukraine faces agricultural sector pressures in EU accession talks—Tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural products are a pivotal sticking point in EU accession negotiations, sparking the need for a major reform of the bloc...
- + Nigeria's mineral wealth offers economic growth beyond oil—Nigeria has vast mineral deposits — whose value is estimated at $700bn — but the industry is not fulfilling its potential. Currently, the sector is co...
- + Fitch upgrades viability rating of largest Uzbek bank NBU, affirms IDRs—Fitch Ratings has upgraded the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of ... [Author: Tawney Kruger in Tashkent]
- + Russia sees rare protest after flooding devastates city—Residents of the Russian city of Orsk have taken to the streets to demand swift action and compensation following devastating flooding that has left t...
- + Ukraine records lowest inflation in over three years—Ukraine's inflation rate dropped to its lowest level in more than three years in March 2024, marking a significant slowdown in consumer price growth, ...
- + Where Nato has an enhanced forward presence—On Monday, 8 April, Germany sent an advance team of 20 soldiers to Lithuania, laying the groundwork for the recently discussed establishment of a perm...
- + Court lifts EU sanctions on Russian billionaires Fridman and Aven—The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has satisfied the lawsuit filed by Russian billionaires Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman of Alfa Group. [Auth...
- + Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for Neom city—Saudi Arabia has allegedly revised its plans for the ambitious $500bn Neom project, a futuristic city being developed in the northwest of the country,...
- + Czech unemployment inched down to 3.9% in March —Czech has long been the country with the lowest unemployment level in the EU. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Vucic agrees purchase of Rafale fighter jets with Macron—Serbian president also underscored the potential for expanded cooperation with companies such as Thales and Airbus. [Author: Valentina Dimitrievska in...
- + Belarus the latest European country to suspend the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe —Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the suspension of Belarus’ participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE)...
- + UK Foreign Minister Cameron meets with former US President Trump to appeal for aid to Ukraine—UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron met with former US President Donald Trump on April 9 and told him that US continued support of Ukraine was “in US i...
- + Zimbabwe's new ZiG currency trading amid chaotic start, gains 0.2% against USD on day 2—Zimbabwe's new mainly gold-backed currency officially started trading on April 8, three days after it was introduced in a bid to tackle skyrocketing ....
- + French billionaire to acquire Ukrainian telecom businesses in one of country’s largest acquisitions—French billionaire Xavier Niel's investment company, NJJ Capital, is poised to make one of the largest acquisitions in Ukraine's history, with plans t...
- + Turkey hits Israel with trade restrictions after months of “words not action”—Tit-for-tat commerce war under way as Israelis vow response. Ankara says export bans to apply until Gaza ceasefire is announced. [Author: bne IntelliN...
- + Levels of the three most dangerous human-caused GHGs at record highs —Concentrations of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide climbed to record levels in the global atmosphere in 2023, contributing ever more to the climate cris...
- + Iranian police officers killed in terrorist attack in Sistan and Baluchistan—Alireza Marhamati, the provincial deputy security and law enforcement governor, said a number of armed men affiliated with the Jaish al-Adl terrorist ...
- + Central Asia: Welcome to the “opportunity zone”—The Great Game’s got a new name. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Moldova's pro-Russian opposition forms new political bloc at Moscow meeting—Fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor seeks to consolidate pro-Russian opposition ahead of autumn presidential election. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + Europe unlikely to tackle Russian LNG imports anytime soon—The European Parliament voted in favour of rules earlier this month that would enable individual EU member states to block Russian LNG imports, by pre...
- + COMMENT: Can China compensate for Russia’s losses on the European gas market?—“Building the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline from Russia to China is a rational decision that would have made sense even before the war, but the proj...
- + The 'wet-bulb' set to kill hundreds of thousands of people if temperatures and humidity levels continue to rise—Temperatures are continuing to rise to new all-time highs as global warming accelerates. People have started to die because of the extreme heat and it...
- + Iran eyes overseas power plant development—Iran plans to expand its power plant development projects overseas, including renewable energy generation [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + The wet-bulb set to kill hundreds of thousands of people if temperatures and humidity levels continue to rise—Temperatures are continuing to rise to fresh all-time highs as global warming accelerates. The people have started to die because of the extreme heat ...
- + UK’s Cameron addresses British “lack of seriousness” in Central Asia with five-day tour—Urges region’s five nations to tackle shadow trading equipping Russian war machine. Awkward fact is that much of the trade is made up of redirected de...
- + North Macedonia’s presidential election to test commitment to EU accession—Slow accession progress and unhappiness with ruling coalition’s policies may push voters towards opposition VMRO-DPMNE candidate. [Author: Valentina D...
- + Venezuelan navy bolsters arsenal with Iranian-made anti-ship missiles—The Venezuelan Navy has recently augmented its military capabilities with the addition of new CM-90 anti-ship missiles (ASM) manufactured in Iran, acc...
- + Energy Fuels, Base Resources to merge, focus on Toliara heavy sands project in Madagascar—Mineral sands miner Base Resources Ltd and US-based Energy Fuels Inc. have announced plans to merge to create a global critical minerals business, ......
- + Iran’s two major clubs officially sold to banks, petchem companies—Iran's Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has confirmed the transfer of ownership of the country's top two football clubs, Persepolis and Esteghlal to t...
- + Kazakhstan toughens domestic violence laws—Brutal assault caught on camera prompts changes. [Author: Almaz Kumenov for Eurasianet]
- + COLLINGWOOD: Ukraine’s power blackout means a dark future—In the last week, two pieces of legislation have been passed, one in Kyiv and one in Washington, that appear to go some way to addressing the most pre...
- + Armenia and Azerbaijan announce first border delimitation deal since the collapse of the USSR—Pashinyan said that he agreed to unilateral concessions to stop a war in the region. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russian hypersonic aircraft scientist sentenced to prison for treason—Alexander Kuranov, a top Russian scientist once at the forefront of hypersonic technology development, has been sentenced to a seven-year prison sente...
- + Kazakhstan can expect GDP growth of 3.1% this year and 5.6% next, says IMF—The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects real GDP growth of 3.1% this year and 5.6% in 2025 for Kazakhstan in its newly released ... [Author: bn...
- + Uzbekistan can expect GDP growth of 5.2% this year and 5.4% next, says IMF—The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects real GDP growth of 5.2% this year and 5.4% in 2025 for Uzbekistan in its newly released ... [Author: bn...
- + Serbs boycott referendum on removal of ethnic Albanian mayors in northern Kosovo—The appointment of ethnic Albanian mayors in four majority-Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo sparked protests in 2023. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + EXPLAINER: Who are Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces hit in alleged Israeli strike? —In the early hours of April 20, Iraq's security force, the Popular Mobilisation Forces military base at Kalso was reportedly struck by Israeli missil...
- + Massive explosion leaves huge crater in Iraqi military base after suspected Israeli strike—An explosion at a military camp in northern Babil province, Iraq, resulted in the death of a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and injur...
- + Iran denies 'Israeli strike', admits shooting down drones—Iranian military and government officials confirmed that recent air defence activity in Isfahan province was a routine measure against suspicious aeri...
- + Iran’s supreme leader admits Israeli strike didn't do damage—Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei said on April 21 that the retaliatory strike on Israel demonstrated and proved the “willpower of the Iranian nation and ar...
- + Mysterious predator dubbed “Goat Sucker” causes panic in Iraq—A mysterious creature resembling a lizard and locally dubbed as "Goat Sucker" has caused a stir in the village of Sarsoola, eastern Dohuk, Iraq, after...
- + US passes Ukraine aid package: what now? —The US stepped forward to rescue Ukraine on April 21 that has been staring defeat in the face, and not a moment too soon. But the aid won't solve many...
- + Don't mention the "D" word - Ukraine—No one wants to mention the “D” word. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to pretend that Ukraine is not losing and getting closer to being defeated ...
- + EXPLAINER: Who are Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces hit in alleged Israeli strike? —In the early hours of April 20, the Iraq's security force, the Popular Mobilization Forces, military base at Kalso was reportedly struck by Israeli m...
- + Protesters torch Tirana city hall at anticorruption demonstration —Main door to Tirana municipality building set ablaze by protesters demanding resignation of mayor Erio Veliaj. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + BREAKING: Massive explosion leaves huge crater in Iraqi military base after suspected Israeli strike—An explosion at a military camp in northern Babil province, Iraq, resulted in the death of a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and injur...
- + PANNIER: Gulf investment commitments to Central Asia rival sums once pledged by China—Since Russia lost leverage in the region after invading Ukraine, many countries have sought to fill the gap. In terms of pledged capital, the Arab nat...
- + Israeli security minister Ben Gvir criticised for mocking alleged strike on Iran—Israeli Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir faced sharp criticism on April 19 from both government officials and opposition leaders after he po...
- + Ukraine cattle and dairy industry in decline due to war, but expected to stabilize in 2024—Many of Ukraine’s cows have found themselves on the front line and some have been killed or were simply slaughtered when their owners fled the countr...
- + SEFE concerned as Russia targets gas storage tanks in Ukraine—German gas trader SEFE has expressed concern over recent Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's largest underground storage facility with a capacity of 3...
- + Will the Baku-Supsa pipeline become Azerbaijan's second oil export artery?—Despite the global "green transition," predictions of decreasing demand for fossil fuels have not yet been realized. And sanctions imposed on Russia a...
- + Johannesburg Stock Exchange eases listing requirements to encourage small caps to stay—South Africa's main bourse, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), has amended some listing requirements to make it easier for smaller firms to raise ...
- + UBN: The US Needs to Wake Up—“As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me.” – George Orwell, England Your England, 1941 [Author: Mark McNamee ...
- + Dubai airport restricts arrivals to manage storm-induced delays—Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the world's busiest, has limited incoming flights for 48 hours starting at noon local time (0800 GMT) on ......
- + EU’s Von der Leyen, China call for calm following Israeli attacks on Iran—European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Israel and Iran to prevent further escalation in the Middle East following an Israeli strike ...
- + Hungary aims to double geothermal energy use by 2030—Hungary already uses geothermal energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuel in district heating, but has vast untapped reserves. [Author: bne Intelli...
- + Poland's first nuclear plant may carry €35bn price tag—Construction is expected to start in 2026, but the head of nuclear power SPV Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) warns the costs will be high. [Author: ...
- + “Richard Branson-backed” hyperloop startup seeks funding on Bucharest's SeedBlink —Swisspod Technologies, co-founded by Romanian Denis Tudor, is developing a fully-electric capsule that travels at near-sonic speeds. [Author: Iulian E...
- + Parliament of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska passes resolution denying Srebrenica genocide—Bosnian Serb politicians have repeatedly pushed against Bosnia’s state-level legislation, which stipulates that denying the Srebrenica genocide is a c...
- + Croatia’s HDZ, SDP start race to attract coalition partners—PM Andrej Plenkovic's HDZ was first placed in Croatia's general election, but does not have enough MPs to form a government alone. [Author: Denitsa Ko...
- + BREAKING: Iran denies 'Israeli strike', admits shooting down drones—Iranian military and government officials confirmed that recent air defence activity in Isfahan province was a routine measure against suspicious aeri...
- + CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: Cautionary tale as onion prices crash amid glut on a "tragic" scale—Farmers who rushed for promised profits floored across the region. [Author: Tawney Kruger in Tashkent]
- + Iran's President Raisi warns Israel against any missteps—Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi issued a stern warning to Israel late on April 18, cautioning that any mistake or aggression towards Iranian territory ...
- + Iran says may revise nuclear policies in case of Israeli threat against its sites—Iran said it could revise its anti-nuclear weapons doctrine if threatened by Israel against its nuclear sites, in an escalation of events as the Jewis...
- + Remittances come to the rescue of Lebanon’s battered economy —Lebanon has always found a way to bounce back. But past performance is no guarantee of future results, and the last few years have pushed the small Me...
- + Russia cracks down on foreign hosting providers—Russian authorities have cracked down on foreign hosting providers and cloud service companies, blocking access to their websites. [Author: Vladimir K...
- + Equatorial Guinea awards Petrofac $350mn five-year contract centred on Zafiro oilfield—Petrofac awarded $350mn technical services contract by Equatorial Guinea's state oil company GEPetrol to support its operations in offshore Block B wh...
- + Russia’s economy stabilising but growth to slow – CBR macro survey —Russia’s economy is stabilising with the spread in predictions of what’s coming later this year narrowing, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) reported i...
- + Premier Energy announces €125mn IPO in Bucharest to boost renewables portfolio—Bucharest Stock Exchange becomes increasingly attractive for investors after last year's Hidroelectrica IPO. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + COMMENT: Armenia's decisive turn towards the West—There’s a high probability that a new geopolitical balance can be established in the South Caucasus where Russia will finally be absent. [Author: Robe...
- + Namibian community rejects green hydrogen port expansion project serving Germany’s Hyphen—Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, a JV between renewables group Enertrag SE and investment/project development company Nicholas Holdings, aims to produce 2mn to...
- + Xlinks warns cost of Morocco-UK Power Project could rise some 25% to reach $30bn—UK renewable energy producer Xlinks, noting significant upward pressure on the cost of all energy projects, warns construction of the Morocco-UK Power...
- + French oil group Rubis inks deal to become strategic investor in NOC Kenya—French oil multinational Rubis is set to become a strategic investor in the struggling National Oil Corporation of Kenya [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Eurasia has 20 major petrochemical projects underway worth over $200bn to double plastics production —Eurasia has 20 major petrochemical projects underway worth over $200bn to double plastics production [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + US senators seek closer ties with Western Balkans to combat Russia's 'malign influence' —Members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations warned of the risk of destabilisation in the Western Balkans since the start of Russia’s war i...
- + AI and cybersecurity to drive CEE tech sector —PwC and CEE Digital Coalition believe the Central and Eastern Europe region has the potential to create the EU’s Silicon Valley. [Author: Clare Nuttal...
- + Cordia launches €1bn waterfront residential project in Budapest—Cordia will build more than 2,500 homes on the 14-hectare brownfield site in the coming years. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + Serbia's historic monasteries go green with solar energy adoption—Ten monasteries in Serbia have adopted solar power in recent years in a bid to increase self-sustainability and curb electricity expenses. [Author: Ai...
- + Kazakhstan’s Kashagan claims against big oil firms now reportedly top $150bn—Astana said to have added $138bn claim for lost revenue, arguing energy majors developing Caspian Sea field have not fully delivered on production ple...
- + Czech tycoon Kretinsky’s £4.5bn bid for owner of Royal Mail rejected—IDS shares jumped by 29% on April 17 after it announced it had turned down an indicative offer at 320p per share from Kretinsky’s EP Group. [Author: A...
- + Ford drives hike in car production in Romania —Romania’s automobile production increased by 7% y/y to more than 150,000 units in Q1. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + Kyrgyzstan to hit TikTok with access curbs “to protect kids’ mental health”—Targeting of social media favourite follows regime’s moves against news outlets, civil society and opposition politicians. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Akbank launches spring syndicated loan renewals season for Turkish banks at better costs—Benefits of Turkey’s so-called economic normalisation policy clearly observed in external debt rollovers. [Author: Akin Nazli in Belgrade]
- + Croatia’s ruling HDZ leads in general election, preliminary results show—PM Andrej Plenkovic's party to be largest in parliament but needs partner to form government, putting rightwing Homeland Movement in kingmaker positio...
- + Baltic states aim to go nuclear but have to wait—The three Baltic states – which have had no nuclear reactors since the closure of Lithuania’s Soviet-designed Ignalina plant 15 years ago – are now al...
- + Slovak presidential campaign showed how populists can dominate the narrative to mobilise support—Government candidate Peter Pellegrini used trumped-up messages of fear channelled through social media networks. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Czechia paid five times more for energy imports from Russia than it spent on aid to Ukraine—The amount of money Czechia spent on Russian energy imports until the end of 2023 could finance more than three weeks of Russian fighting in Ukraine. ...
- + Dubai airport, city and roads still underwater from historic floods—Dubai witnessed "chaos" on April 17, with continued road closures and travellers urged not to come to the airport, a day after a storm accompanied by ...
- + Russia's AvtoVAZ to start exporting Lada cars to Iran in 2024—Russian carmaker AvtoVAZ is set to return to the Iranian market after a 25-year hiatus, the company’s president, Maxim Sokolov, has said, ignoring Mid...
- + Berlin Energy Forum to hold its inaugural event on May 21—The Berlin Energy Forum will hold its inaugural meeting at 4pm on May 21 in Berlin “The Great European Energy crisis: drones, price caps and shadow fl...
- + Ukraine's birth rate plummets to 300-year low as country’s population collapses—Ukraine’s population collapsed to 29mn souls last year, according to Ukraine Business News, with just 187,000 births recorded (including in Russian-oc...
- + Russian missile attack kills over a dozen people in Chernihiv, Ukraine—At least 14 people were killed and over 60 others injured, including two children, as Russian forces launched a devastating missile attack on the city...
- + Republic of Congo expands oil partnerships, eyes closer ties with Azerbaijan—The Republic of the Congo’s President Denis Sassou-Nguesso is diversifying the West African country’s oil and gas partnerships in search of reliable a...
- + Pro-Kremlin Voice of Europe resumes operations from Kazakhstan—Media platform that has promoted far-right EU politicians was expelled from Czechia last month. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Sick-looking Iranian president warns Israel of 'strong response'—Iranian President Raisi looks ill in cabinet meeting [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + Creditors of Liberty Steel Ostrava greenlight restructuring plan—Creditors vote to eject biggest of them, power supplier Tameh Czech, from the list of creditors. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + US investor to build $1bn magnesium mining complex in Romania—First European magnesium mining project in a decade will ease continent's reliance on imports from China. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russia's finance ministry re-engineers tax system—By tinkering with the tax system, the Russian Ministry of Finance has created enough cash to pay for the war in Ukraine. [Author: Ben Aris in Berlin]
- + Fresh evidence suggests that the April 2022 Istanbul peace deal to end the war in Ukraine was stillborn—Fresh evidence has found that a peace deal thrashed out between Russia and Ukraine in April 2022 that could have ended the war months after it begun ...
- + Shutdown of controversial far-right conference in Brussels triggers debate over free speech—The conference demonstrates the spread and rise of the radical right, which could become the third largest force in the European Parliament in June. [...
- + Russian peacekeeping forces reportedly leaving Nagorno-Karabakh—Withdrawal would be a significant shift in the post-conflict landscape of the South Caucasus. [Author: Cavid Aga in Baku]
- + IMF says Estonia should take decisive steps to restore its competitiveness —The slow start in the year is set to hold back average 2024 growth at -0.5%, but the recovery should gain further momentum in 2025, the IMF reported. ...
- + Tension mounts as Georgian riot police clash with protesters over foreign agents bill 2.0—Charles Michel, head of the European Council, emphasised that the draft law contradicts Georgia's EU accession trajectory. [Author: Tornike Mandaria i...
- + Russia’s $13.4bn current account surplus in March second highest since 2007 —Russia posted a $13.4bn current account surplus in March, more than double February’s $5.5bn and the second highest level for a March since 2007. [Aut...
- + Dubai hit with a year’s worth of rain in a day —Dubai was hit with the heaviest rainfall in 75 years after a whole year’s worth of rain fell in a day on April 16 plunging the capital of the United A...
- + Russia's finance minister re-engineers tax system—By tinkering with the tax system, the Russian Ministry of Finance has created enough cash to pay for the war in Ukraine. [Author: Ben Aris in Berlin]
- + Georgian Dream leader punched in head by MP amid uproar over return of “the Russian law"—President takes to social media to declare: "Georgia will not surrender to resovietisation." [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Tashkent Stock Exchange reports decline in 1Q24 trading volume—Tashkent Stock Exchange (TSE) has released its results for 1Q24, revealing a significant decrease in trading volume y/y.The results report, ... [Autho...
- + Serbia’s President Vucic, the prophet of doom —The Serbian president has repeatedly warned that the world could be heading for the worst conflict since WW2. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Slovenia's first geothermal power plant produces initial kW of electricity—Pilot geothermal power station built on an abandoned gas well produces first electricity, but investor says modifications needed for viable long-term ...
- + Bulgaria's BACB to acquire 99.94% of Tokuda Bank—The Bulgarian-American Credit Bank said on April 16 it has agreed to acquire 99.94% of local Tokuda Bank from Japan-based Tokushukai Incorporated. ......
- + What next for oil markets after Iranian strike on Israel?—For the time being, traders have apparently shrugged off fears of a direct war between Israel and Iran, but escalation is still a significant risk. [A...
- + Russian attacks devastate Ukrainian energy infrastructure—Russian strikes in the early hours of April 11 inflicted severe damage on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the near-complete destruction of ...
- + DTEK Energy Holding unveils 1.5-GW green energy plan—DTEK Energy Holding, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, has announced plans to inject 1.5 GW of renewable energy into the country's power grid ...
- + Tinkering with tax, MinFin has re-engineered Russia's budget—By tinkering with the tax system, Ministry of Finance (MinFin) has remade Russia’s budget dynamics and successfully created enough cash to pay for the...
- + France's spending on Russian LNG surges to over €600mn this year—France's spending on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) surged to over €600mn this year, EU data reveals, Politico reports. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russia pushes Iran to release its sailor from captured Israeli container ship—Iranian authorities said they would provide Russian embassy officials with access to its citizen who was captured as part of the crew of the Israeli-o...
- + Israel's financial markets hold despite Iranian missile strikes and threat of regional war—Israel's financial markets shrugged off the April 13 Iranian missile strikes and will have a minimal economic impact in the short term, say analysts [...
- + Georgian Dream leader punched in head by MP amid uproar over return of “The Russian Law"—President takes to social media to declare: "Georgia will not surrender to resovietisation." [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Barrick Gold fears expropriation of Malian mine—Barrick Gold, the Toronto-based mining giant, finds itself in the crosshairs of Mali's military junta amid a backdrop of increasing Russian influence ...
- + RBI CEE WATCH: The shape of disinflation in CEE-EU—There are reasons for cautiousness in the easing cycles that are ongoing In CE and set to start in Q2 in SEE. [Author: Gunter Deuber of Raiffeisen Res...
- + LNG imports improving EU energy security as Russian gas supplies fall to 8% of gas imports —Liquefied natural gas helps make Europe’s gas supply more secure as it doesn’t rely on existing pipeline infrastructure, allowing EU countries to dive...
- + Russia’s war economy boosted by rising oil prices —Brent crude oil prices remained near a six-month high this week, hovering around $90 per barrel amidst fears of an oil price spike driven by escalatin...
- + Automotive sector output in Hungary edges up 1.6% y/y in February—Headline industrial output rose 1.8% in February, increasing for the first month in about a year. [Author: Tamas Csonka]
- + US Speaker Johnson releases preliminary details of a new $43bn Ukraine aid package—US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has released preliminary details of a new aid package for US allies that he says could be put to a vote this week...
- + Croatia faces showdown between president and PM in April 17 general election —President Milanovic and PM Plenkovic take each other on over Russia stance and corruption scandals [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Fiala meets Biden to discuss support for Ukraine—US President praises Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine outside the EU. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Hungary attracts Southeast Asian guest workers in growing numbers—At the same time CEE workers leave because of Hungary's low wages. [Author: Tamas Csonka]
- + Bosnian Serbs threaten to secede if UN adopts resolution on Srebrenica genocide—Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik urges MPs to endorse resolution denying the Srebrenica genocide and says Serbs can no longer live alongside B...
- + Slovak inflation eased further to 2.3% in March —Prices in the alcohol and tobacco sector increased by 19% y/y, including the 9.1% spike in tobacco prices as a result of the new consumption tax. [Aut...
- + Polish inflation eases further to 2% y/y in March—The inflation rate landed within the National Bank of Poland’s target of 1.5%-3.5% for a second successive month [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Huge billboard in Tehran calls Israel 'weaker than a spider's web' after weekend attack—A large billboard has gone up in the Iranian capital, calling Israel “weaker than a spider’s web” following the Islamic Republic’s drone and missile s...
- + EIF signs guarantee agreements with 11 banks in Western Balkans, unlocking €750mn for small businesses —The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, said on April 15 that it has signed guarantee agreements with 11 banks and financial ... [A...
- + Dollar retreats in Tehran's market following Iran’s response to Israel—Exchange rates in Tehran's Ferdowsi Street saw a surprise decline on April 15, following Iran's first direct targeting of Israel two nights earlier [A...
- + ISTANBUL BLOG: Critics seize on Turkey’s silence in face of Israel-Iran crisis—Shadow foreign minister “astonished” regional power Ankara has nothing to say. Observers think Erdogan officials fear derailing attempt at econom-ic r...
- + Uzbekistan's basalt industry attracts $498mn investment—Uzbekistan’s basalt industry has attracted an investment of $498mn. The focus on basalt stone mining and fibre production, particularly in ... [A...
- + Coca-Cola invests $165mn in two new Uzbekistan factories—Coca-Cola Ichimligi Uzbekistan has announced plans to invest $165mn in constructing two new factories, Spot reported on April 8.The first ... [Author:...
- + UniCredit sees modest growth and fiscal overshoot for Hungary in 2024—Hungary’s economic rebound will be modest this year, around 2%, and the return to potential growth is set to be postponed to 2025 with GDP ... [A...
- + UK, US ban trading in Russian aluminium, copper, nickel—The London Metal Exchange (LME) and Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) have blocked the trade of aluminium, copper, and nickel produced by Russia, the ...
- + Hungary’s election committee clears Magyar’s bid to run in EP election —The former Fidesz insider has shaken up the political status quo as he is now polling at 14-15%, in third place. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
As of 5/15/24 5:30am. Last new 5/15/24 2:48am. Score: 378
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