Latest Updates

Why Europe is looking towards Central Asia

The developing world is no longer catching up. In several critical areas, it has pulled ahead — and the institutions that built the modern financial system are only now beginning to understand what that means for them.

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Beijing raises stakes in economic clash with Tokyo

Beijing expanded its economic pressure campaign against Tokyo in late June, imposing immediate outbound trade limits on 40 Japanese enterprises and state-run scientific bodies.

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The EDB's next frontier: Uzbekistan and the future of Central Asian integration

Only a year after becoming the Eurasian Development Bank's seventh shareholder, Uzbekistan has quickly become one of the institution's strategic priorities.

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Krško second reactor remains central to Slovenia’s energy strategy in shifting political landscape

New government to accelerate JEK2 project to as one of Slovenia’s key strategic energy projects, energy ministry tells IntelliNews.

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India's new diplomacy of trade deals

Between 2021 and 2026 India’s geoeconomic policy has been pivoting towards free trade agreements as its central pillar, especially with partners that fall into the category of developed nations.

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CAUCASUS BLOG: EU bets on Armenia and Azerbaijan

Brussels’ South Caucasus policy has shifted as it seeks to secure regional stability, expand transport corridors and reduce Russian influence.

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Nigeria's Dangote Cement ups dividend 50% for record $550mn payout ahead of planned refinery IPO

Dangote Cement's record dividend could boost interest in a planned IPO of its sister company controlling the 650,000-bpd oil refinery in Lagos, which market estimates have valued at up to $50bn.

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Moldova’s prime minister resigns after corruption scandal at air traffic control company

Alexandru Munteanu says he cannot govern "in accordance with my principles" as MoldATSA scandal shakes political establishment.

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Egypt inaugurates strategic command mega-complex “Octagon”

Turkey IPO market raises TRY24.6bn in first half as 16 firms list on Borsa Istanbul

EU investigation confirms spy network at Hungarian diplomatic mission in Brussels

Egypt inaugurates strategic command mega-complex “Octagon”

The opening comes as Egypt continues to shift key government, military and administrative functions to the New Administrative Capital.

Turkey IPO market raises TRY24.6bn in first half as 16 firms list on Borsa Istanbul

Sixteen companies raised a combined TRY24.6bn on Borsa Istanbul in the first half of 2026, led by software firm Netcad Yazilim's 185.8% gain, with seven more listings expected in July.

EU investigation confirms spy network at Hungarian diplomatic mission in Brussels

An internal European Commission investigation has confirmed that a Hungarian intelligence network operated at Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels in the mid-2010s, according to a document seen by Politico.

News

Hamas considers surrendering political power in Gaza, report claims

Hamas is considering giving up its political power in the Gaza Strip after believed to be back-channel talks between Iranian and Arab parties.

Hungarian government's planned constitutional change paves way to remove president

PM Peter Magyar argued Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok played an active role in a system that dismantled the rule of law.

Turkey jails comedian who called Erdogan “dictator” pending trial

The Goktas incident is not a mistake. It is a very well-planned and well-executed political act to remind people of the situation in Turkey.

Bulgaria's PM proposes reviving Belene nuclear project with EU funds

Rumen Radev said he had proposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Bulgaria and Ukraine jointly build the long-delayed Belene nuclear power plant using European Union funding, instead of Kyiv purchasing Russian-built reactors.

Iran, US likely to hold next round of talks in Pakistan on July 11

The next round of Iran-US talks is likely to be held in Pakistan on July 11, with sanctions, frozen assets and the nuclear programme on the agenda, once funeral ceremonies for slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei conclude.

Hamas considers surrendering political power in Gaza, report claims

8 hours ago

Hungarian government's planned constitutional change paves way to remove president

19 hours ago

Turkey jails comedian who called Erdogan “dictator” pending trial

1 day ago

Bulgaria's PM proposes reviving Belene nuclear project with EU funds

1 day ago

Iran, US likely to hold next round of talks in Pakistan on July 11

1 day ago

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Tech

Czech and Slovak e-shops eye investments and expansion

Medium and large e-shops in Czechia and Slovakia plan investments into growth and marketing and eye expansion abroad, according to a survey by Seyfor in Slovakia.

Kazakhstan aims to create Central Asia's crypto capital

Kazakhstan’s planned Alatau City aims to become Central Asia's crypto capital, with major partners onboard and $6bn in investment secured.

Oman's Etlaq signs launch deal with France's Latitude for 2027 mission

Oman's spaceport operator Etlaq has signed a letter of intent with France's Latitude for an experimental rocket launch targeted for late 2027. Find out how the deal fits Oman's push to become a regional space hub.

Malaysian chip boom spreads its wings

The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics has significantly upgraded its global outlook, forecasting semiconductor sales to jump 90% year on year to $1.51 trillion in 2026, before expanding a further 27% to around $1.9 trillion in 2027.

Latvia warns of growing youth radicalisation as online recruitment increases

State Security Service says the radicalisation of young people is becoming an increasing concern, reflecting a wider trend seen across Europe as extremist groups use online platforms to recruit vulnerable individuals.

Czech and Slovak e-shops eye investments and expansion

11 hours ago

Kazakhstan aims to create Central Asia's crypto capital

3 days ago

Oman's Etlaq signs launch deal with France's Latitude for 2027 mission

4 days ago

Malaysian chip boom spreads its wings

4 days ago

Latvia warns of growing youth radicalisation as online recruitment increases

6 days ago

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Opinion

COMMENT: Why Iran's central bank is starving banks of liquidity

Iran’s central bank is squeezing liquidity to defend the rial, meeting under a fifth of banks’ funding demand as inflation hits 57.7% and money supply growth tops 53% after the war with the US and Israel.

Trump's four-part strategy for a post-American world: retreat, rebel, replace and reform international institutions

Trump has broken with the paradigm of the rules based international order and is causing chaos with his “America first” approach. But actually he has four approaches to reforming international bodies: retreat, rebel, replace and reform.

PANNIER: Countries line up to access Central Asia’s critical minerals

The minerals are there but the planned scale of production requires a dozen or more new processing plants.

RAGOZIN: Ukraine’s history row with Poland threatens its EU path

The two countries have long been on a collision course over their differing interpretations of WWII history, but why did the clash happen now?

Europe's defence tech push risks outpacing strategy, Carnegie warns

Europe’s rapid push into defence technology risks undermining its own security ambitions unless policymakers develop a coherent strategy, says Carnegie Europe report.

COMMENT: Why Iran's central bank is starving banks of liquidity

1 day ago

Trump's four-part strategy for a post-American world: retreat, rebel, replace and reform international institutions

3 days ago

PANNIER: Countries line up to access Central Asia’s critical minerals

4 days ago

RAGOZIN: Ukraine’s history row with Poland threatens its EU path

4 days ago

Europe's defence tech push risks outpacing strategy, Carnegie warns

4 days ago

More Opinion

Data

Germany financial worries climb as cost of living tops global anxieties, Allianz says

Financial worries rose in seven of eight countries year on year and now tie with health as the top global concern, German insurer Allianz said, with just 5% describing themselves as financially secure.

Romania’s M&A market grows almost 50% y/y to $6bn in H1

Acquisitions of Carrefour Romania, Evryo Group and Garanti BBVA Romania were the three largest transactions, according to the latest EY Romania - Parthenon analysis.

Indonesia's Islamic finance ripe for continued expansion

Sukuk account for 67% of the Islamic finance industry, while Islamic banking assets make up 30%.

Iran records '9mn Tehran metro journeys' as Khamenei funeral crowds swell

Tehran's metro logged more than 9mn journeys in 24 hours as over 6mn mourners packed the Grand Mosalla for Khamenei's funeral ceremonies, with the municipality housing up to 4mn pilgrims and a city holiday set for July 7.

Vietnam's HCM City posts 8.55% economic growth in first half

The services sector remained the main driver of growth, expanding 8.89% in the first six months. It accounted for 54% of GRDP and contributed 56% of overall economic growth.

Germany financial worries climb as cost of living tops global anxieties, Allianz says

7 hours ago

Romania’s M&A market grows almost 50% y/y to $6bn in H1

11 hours ago

Indonesia's Islamic finance ripe for continued expansion

16 hours ago

Iran records '9mn Tehran metro journeys' as Khamenei funeral crowds swell

1 day ago

Vietnam's HCM City posts 8.55% economic growth in first half

1 day ago

More Data

Features

What the failed war on Iran means for Eurasia's security

The collapse of the American and Israeli campaign against Iran has reset a regional balance and helped make the emerging multipolar order visible, with lessons for the limits of force and the future of Greater Eurasia.

India's rice surplus to fuel record exports amid global supply worries

With higher rabi/summer rice output expected in MY 2025-26, procurement by government agencies is likely to run through till September 2026. As a result, total rice procurement in MY 2025-26 is projected to reach 58mn tonnes.

Peru reasserts control over China's flagship South American port

China's flagship port just lost its shield. A Lima court stripped COSCO of regulatory immunity at Chancay, echoing Washington's Panama playbook. But a graft trail through Peru's own port officials suggests sovereignty was never the only motive.

Uzbekistan advances ambitious plan to become regional fintech hub by 2030

"That is not a gap in the market; that is a market," says central bank fintech expert, pointing to the millions of consumers underserved by traditional banking.

Tokyo's Treasury time bomb

At the centre of the issue is scale. Japan holds around $1.2 - $1.24 trillion in US government debt, a figure almost double the amount held by neighbouring China – itself locked into a protracted sell-off of the same US Treasuries in recent months.

What the failed war on Iran means for Eurasia's security

1 hour ago

India's rice surplus to fuel record exports amid global supply worries

3 days ago

Peru reasserts control over China's flagship South American port

3 days ago

Uzbekistan advances ambitious plan to become regional fintech hub by 2030

4 days ago

Tokyo's Treasury time bomb

4 days ago

More Features

Blogs

KYIV BLOG: Russia, Ukraine political assassinations and the backpack bomb in Monaco

A bomber targeted Ukrainian real estate mogul and online scammer yesterday in Monaco, the principality’s first ever terror attack, in the latest of a string of alleged SBU assassinations overseas.

BALKAN BLOG: Dancing robots, giant flags and Serbia's latest political spectacle

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić has confirmed he will resign within weeks, signalling the start of an election campaign that could reshape the country's political landscape.

KYIV BLOG: The Ukraine war stuck in a violent stalemate

The efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end have stalled in the face of an escalating exchange of drone and missiles and the stalemated EU efforts to mediate.

BALKAN BLOG: US U-turn on Albanian opposition leader comes at a dangerous moment for PM

Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government has been targeted by a wave of mass protests dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution".

KYIV BLOG: Ukraine peace deal goes back to square one at London summit

The E3 European leaders met in London over the weekend to thrash out a new formula to take to the Kremlin and end the war in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the document they produced takes us all the way back to the very beginning of the process.

KYIV BLOG: Russia, Ukraine political assassinations and the backpack bomb in Monaco

5 days ago

BALKAN BLOG: Dancing robots, giant flags and Serbia's latest political spectacle

8 days ago

KYIV BLOG: The Ukraine war stuck in a violent stalemate

12 days ago

BALKAN BLOG: US U-turn on Albanian opposition leader comes at a dangerous moment for PM

24 days ago

KYIV BLOG: Ukraine peace deal goes back to square one at London summit

27 days ago

More Blogs

bneGREEN

Hungarian government unveils major wind power expansion plan after decade-long pause

The Tisza-government has introduced new regulations aimed at accelerating wind power development by easing long-standing restrictions on new projects financed from the EU's RRF scheme.

Thailand attracts $4.1bn in EV investments

Thailand has secured more than $4.1bn in investment commitments for its electric vehicle industry, reinforcing its position as Southeast Asia's leading automotive manufacturing centre.

ADB says Azerbaijan's transport sector could cut CO2 emissions by 600,000 tonnes by 2030

ADB says emissions reductions in Azerbaijan's transport sector can be achieved through a modal shift toward rail, the adoption of cleaner fuels and energy efficiency measures.

Record ocean temperatures push climate into uncharted waters

The world's oceans reached their highest average June surface temperatures on record this year, underscoring growing concern among scientists that the planet is entering a new phase of climate instability in which extreme weather events become normal

Severe storm floods Skopje streets, causes traffic chaos

Rain briefly brought relief from high temperatures, but it left behind flooded streets and disrupted traffic.

Hungarian government unveils major wind power expansion plan after decade-long pause

11 hours ago

Thailand attracts $4.1bn in EV investments

18 hours ago

ADB says Azerbaijan's transport sector could cut CO2 emissions by 600,000 tonnes by 2030

3 days ago

Record ocean temperatures push climate into uncharted waters

3 days ago

Severe storm floods Skopje streets, causes traffic chaos

4 days ago

More bneGREEN

Latest Updates

News

Hamas is considering giving up its political power in the Gaza Strip after believed to be back-channel talks between Iranian and Arab parties.

PM Peter Magyar argued Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok played an active role in a system that dismantled the rule of law.

The Goktas incident is not a mistake. It is a very well-planned and well-executed political act to remind people of the situation in Turkey.

Rumen Radev said he had proposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Bulgaria and Ukraine jointly build the long-delayed Belene nuclear power plant using European Union funding, instead of Kyiv purchasing Russian-built reactors.

The next round of Iran-US talks is likely to be held in Pakistan on July 11, with sanctions, frozen assets and the nuclear programme on the agenda, once funeral ceremonies for slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei conclude.

Tech

Medium and large e-shops in Czechia and Slovakia plan investments into growth and marketing and eye expansion abroad, according to a survey by Seyfor in Slovakia.

Kazakhstan’s planned Alatau City aims to become Central Asia's crypto capital, with major partners onboard and $6bn in investment secured.

Oman's spaceport operator Etlaq has signed a letter of intent with France's Latitude for an experimental rocket launch targeted for late 2027. Find out how the deal fits Oman's push to become a regional space hub.

The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics has significantly upgraded its global outlook, forecasting semiconductor sales to jump 90% year on year to $1.51 trillion in 2026, before expanding a further 27% to around $1.9 trillion in 2027.

State Security Service says the radicalisation of young people is becoming an increasing concern, reflecting a wider trend seen across Europe as extremist groups use online platforms to recruit vulnerable individuals.

Opinion

Iran’s central bank is squeezing liquidity to defend the rial, meeting under a fifth of banks’ funding demand as inflation hits 57.7% and money supply growth tops 53% after the war with the US and Israel.

Trump has broken with the paradigm of the rules based international order and is causing chaos with his “America first” approach. But actually he has four approaches to reforming international bodies: retreat, rebel, replace and reform.

The minerals are there but the planned scale of production requires a dozen or more new processing plants.

The two countries have long been on a collision course over their differing interpretations of WWII history, but why did the clash happen now?

Europe’s rapid push into defence technology risks undermining its own security ambitions unless policymakers develop a coherent strategy, says Carnegie Europe report.

Data

Financial worries rose in seven of eight countries year on year and now tie with health as the top global concern, German insurer Allianz said, with just 5% describing themselves as financially secure.

Acquisitions of Carrefour Romania, Evryo Group and Garanti BBVA Romania were the three largest transactions, according to the latest EY Romania - Parthenon analysis.

Sukuk account for 67% of the Islamic finance industry, while Islamic banking assets make up 30%.

Tehran's metro logged more than 9mn journeys in 24 hours as over 6mn mourners packed the Grand Mosalla for Khamenei's funeral ceremonies, with the municipality housing up to 4mn pilgrims and a city holiday set for July 7.

The services sector remained the main driver of growth, expanding 8.89% in the first six months. It accounted for 54% of GRDP and contributed 56% of overall economic growth.

Features

The collapse of the American and Israeli campaign against Iran has reset a regional balance and helped make the emerging multipolar order visible, with lessons for the limits of force and the future of Greater Eurasia.

With higher rabi/summer rice output expected in MY 2025-26, procurement by government agencies is likely to run through till September 2026. As a result, total rice procurement in MY 2025-26 is projected to reach 58mn tonnes.

China's flagship port just lost its shield. A Lima court stripped COSCO of regulatory immunity at Chancay, echoing Washington's Panama playbook. But a graft trail through Peru's own port officials suggests sovereignty was never the only motive.

"That is not a gap in the market; that is a market," says central bank fintech expert, pointing to the millions of consumers underserved by traditional banking.

At the centre of the issue is scale. Japan holds around $1.2 - $1.24 trillion in US government debt, a figure almost double the amount held by neighbouring China – itself locked into a protracted sell-off of the same US Treasuries in recent months.

Blogs

A bomber targeted Ukrainian real estate mogul and online scammer yesterday in Monaco, the principality’s first ever terror attack, in the latest of a string of alleged SBU assassinations overseas.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić has confirmed he will resign within weeks, signalling the start of an election campaign that could reshape the country's political landscape.

The efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end have stalled in the face of an escalating exchange of drone and missiles and the stalemated EU efforts to mediate.

Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government has been targeted by a wave of mass protests dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution".

The E3 European leaders met in London over the weekend to thrash out a new formula to take to the Kremlin and end the war in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the document they produced takes us all the way back to the very beginning of the process.

bneGREEN

The Tisza-government has introduced new regulations aimed at accelerating wind power development by easing long-standing restrictions on new projects financed from the EU's RRF scheme.

Thailand has secured more than $4.1bn in investment commitments for its electric vehicle industry, reinforcing its position as Southeast Asia's leading automotive manufacturing centre.

ADB says emissions reductions in Azerbaijan's transport sector can be achieved through a modal shift toward rail, the adoption of cleaner fuels and energy efficiency measures.

The world's oceans reached their highest average June surface temperatures on record this year, underscoring growing concern among scientists that the planet is entering a new phase of climate instability in which extreme weather events become normal

Rain briefly brought relief from high temperatures, but it left behind flooded streets and disrupted traffic.

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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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