Latest Updates

Tisza on the verge of a supermajority in Hungary, final polls show

Polling data from the three most reliable pollsters conducted in the last days of the Hungarian election campaign indicate a decisive victory for the opposition Tisza Party.

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Record turnout reported as Hungarians vote in pivotal election that could end Orbán era

Hungarians turned out in record numbers in a closely fought parliamentary election that could end Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule and reshape the country’s relationship with the European Union.

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Trump orders naval blockage of Iran in a new shockwave for energy markets

Following the collapse of ceasefire talks this weekend US President Donald Trump has ordered a full naval blockade of shipping into and out of the Persian Gulf.

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COMMENT: Iran and the US, where maximalism meets survival and peace cannot follow

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Taiwan’s lethal road culture - where red lights don’t mean stop

Taiwan likes to present itself as a modern, developed democracy, but step off the plane and onto any Taiwanese street, and a very different reality quickly emerges: one in which basic public safety is dangerously absent.

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As Lebanon, Israel negotiations begin Hezbollah hardens it line

At a decisive moment, as the Lebanese state takes a bold step toward negotiations as a gateway to ending the war and halting the collapse, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has the group will resist to the last breath.

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Megadeal rumored for Russian VTB Bank and e-commerce major Wildberries

Russia’s second largest state controlled bank VTB and the country's largest e-commerce marketplace Wildberries are discussing a potential merger or integration, according to RBC business portal.

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Seoul’s missing $7.8bn central bank surplus

The move has raised transparency concerns as the administration appears to be shielding a multi-billion dollar windfall from legislative oversight.

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Slovenia’s NLB announces €29 per share takeover bid for Addiko Bank

Japan PM tells Deep Purple: ‘You are my god’

Pakistan’s Ghazab Lil-Haq operation and the prospect of regime change in Afghanistan

Slovenia’s NLB announces €29 per share takeover bid for Addiko Bank

CEO Blaz Brodnjak says acquisition would complement NLB Group’s universal banking model and support its long-term strategic priorities.

Japan PM tells Deep Purple: ‘You are my god’

An avid amateur drummer herself, the 65-year-old conservative leader said she played in a Deep Purple tribute band as a child after first becoming a fan in primary school.

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News

Reports circulating on social media and pro-Russian channels claimed that Moscow has deployed a new jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle, Geran-5, in strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure that can overcome western-supplied air defence systems.

A British military drone flew over eastern Lebanon on the same day Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed more than 300 people in less than 10 minutes, according to flight-tracking data analysed by Middle East Eye.

The first direct US-Iran talks since 1979 end without a deal after 14 hours in Islamabad. The Strait of Hormuz is the main sticking point, with Washington demanding free navigation and Tehran insisting on control of the waterway.

As talks got underway in Islamabad between Iran and the US to find a ceasefire formula, a dramatic showdown was playing out in the Strait of Hormuz, as several US Navy vessels attempted to sneak through and exit the Persian Gulf,

Looking tired and weary, Hungary’s veteran leader, trailing in the polls behind, praised Fidesz’s achievements, including transforming a crumbling nation into a stable, secure homeland.

Tech

Iran-linked hacker group Handala claims to have destroyed 6 petabytes of data and extracted 149TB of classified documents from three Dubai government bodies in what it calls a warning to Gulf states.

Tehran's e-commerce association demands the immediate restoration of internet services, saying continued restrictions are damaging household incomes and the private sector as Iran's digital economy struggles to recover from the war.

Armenia is stepping up efforts to develop its semiconductor industry as part of a broader push to transform its economy through high technology.

Brazil's government unveiled plans to position the country as a major global hub for artificial intelligence data processing and storage, even as Brazilian and multinational companies race to automate their logistics networks.

Held for the first time in Uzbekistan, event offered 800 investors, founders and tech leaders insights into innovation landscape.

Opinion

Hungary's general election is “make-or-break” for Brussels-Budapest relations, says Clingendael Institute report.

The Iran war has turned Russia from a sanctioned energy pariah into an indispensable supplier for half the planet. With Urals crude at 13-year highs and sanctioned LNG going at 40% discounts, Moscow may be the war's real winner.

The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait have collectively attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in technology investment, transforming themselves from hydrocarbon exporters to AI powerhouses. It could all unravel if peace is fleeting.

Georgia's headline GDP growth figures conceal a more troubling reality: the factors that drove the economy's expansion since 2022 were largely temporary and are already beginning to fade.

Data

Delivering on the forecast could prove challenging, however, if the Middle East conflict is prolonged.

Unscheduled move comes as central bank stung for $50bn in cost of interventions made in defence of lira.

Czech industrial output rises 1.3% in February, slowing for the third straight month but staying in positive territory on the back of car production. Construction returns to 4.1% growth with housing starts up 46%.

Despite the global uncertainty, the NBS still expects inflation to remain within its target band of 3% plus or minus 1.5 percentage points by the end of the year.

Russia’s federal budget deficit widened sharply in the first quarter as oil and gas revenues fell steeply, with economists warning that a price surge linked to the Iran conflict has yet to feed through into state finances.

Features

Faced by a hostile Pakistan to the east and south, and a conflict-wracked Iran to the west, Afghanistan’s rulers turn to Central Asia for options.

Petrochemical producers across Asia have begun shutting down operations after disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz reduced supplies of the critical naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) feedstocks.

During a visit to Lebanon’s southeastern Christian border villages with a humanitarian convoy led by the Maronite Patriarch, residents described why they remain despite escalating Israeli operations.

Amid the aftermath of Israel’s “Operation Eternal Darkness,” testimonies, official figures, and Amnesty International’s findings were gathered to highlight Lebanon’s civilian toll, urgent humanitarian crisis, and calls for accountability.

The opposition Tisza Party appears to have the momentum in the final leg of Hungary's election campaign, putting it on track for a potential two-thirds parliamentary majority, according to the latest Median poll.

Blogs

As Taiwan’s opposition leader, Cheng Li-wun leads a delegation across China the fine line between opposition outreach and quasi-diplomacy is being blurred. It is an issue that should concern anyone with a stake in Taiwan’s democratic integrity.

Iranians remain split in the early hours of the two-week ceasefire between their government and US and Israel on the otherside, but as things stand any return to normality is better than nothing.

Nikol Pashinyan made unusually blunt comments to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow.

Superficially the war in Iran has dealt Ukraine a huge blow. The White House is now completely distracted, and the Trump administration seems to have abandoned, or at least paused, the ceasefire negotiations with Russia.

Strong pro-Palestine sentiment in Slovenia causes alleged interference by Israeli private security firm ahead of general election to backfire.

bneGREEN

A recent report by energy think tank Ember says that declining battery storage costs have reached a level where it makes it economically viable for solar power to supply most of India’s electricity demand.

Argentina’s Congress has approved a reform to the country’s glacier protection law, relaxing restrictions on mining in high-altitude regions in a move aimed at attracting billions in investment, while drawing criticism from environmental groups.

Over 20mn electric cars were sold globally in 2025 — some for as little as $10,000. Even just two decades ago, that would have been impossible. The reason it's possible now? Batteries have gotten much cheaper.

Peru accelerates solar deployment as Kallpa’s Sunny complex reaches 345 MW, signalling a broader expansion pipeline of 1.42 GW set to reshape the country’s renewable energy landscape by 2028.

Europe risks undermining its energy security and industrial competitiveness due to insufficient electricity grid capacity, with at least 120 GW of planned renewable projects facing delays, according to a report by Ember.

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Nato General Secretary Mark Rutte warned that the West needs to prepare of the possibility that Chinese President Xi Jinping will ....

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