International envoy blocks funding for ruling Bosnian Serb party

Decision follows a series of steps by Republika Srpska towards secession from Bosnia, triggered by the entity’s President Milorad Dodik.

Inhabitants of earthquake-hit Istanbul spend night in parks and other open spaces amid aftershock fears

Frustration as stores hike prices of first-aid kits and tents.

IMF maintains Argentina growth forecast, expressing confidence in Milei

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has maintained its 5.5 per cent growth projection for Argentina in 2025, despite global trade uncertainty.

Donald Trump Jr. heads to Budapest in push to expand Trump family's business ties in CEE

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the US president, is set to visit Budapest this Friday as part of a regional tour aimed at deepening the Trump family's commercial footprint in Central and Eastern Europe.

First attempt to arrest Bosnian Republika Srpska President Dodik fails

Representatives of the State Investigation and Police Agency (SIPA) surrounded Republika Srpska’s government building, but were prevented from entering.

Bulgaria's fastest-growing startup Lace AI raises $19mn in seed funding

Lace AI, which has developed AI-powered call centre technology for home services companies, posted 1,000% growth in 2024.

Azerbaijan targets influencers in overhaul of online advertising rules

Bloggers and content creators will be held accountable for the accuracy and fairness of the ads they disseminate.

Advent International buys Bulgaria-based digital bank tbi

Private equity investor says tbi’s digital-first business model and customer-focused approach has created one of the leading and fastest growing challenger banks in the region.

Uzbekistan's Startup Garage arrives in North Africa with Casablanca launch

Pursuing "launchpad" relations with local investors, accelerators and entrepreneurs.

Uzbekistan’s Borderless university applications for emerging market students startup flourishes

“Students are not picking universities. They just want to leave and study abroad. We make that happen,” says the CEO and founder of Borderless, an online application that helps students from emerging markets find a university place.

IMF: Enhancing financial stability for resilience during uncertain times

Capital markets are essential for driving economic activity, providing mechanisms for raising funds and allocating resources efficiently. The stability of these markets and the financial institutions that intermediate them are critical.

IMF: Global debt to exceed pandemic levels soon

Global public debt is set to rise to 95% of GDP this year and will continue to rise in the next years to top 100%, says the IMF.

COMMENT: Azerbaijan redraws its foreign policy map

Azerbaijan has shifted its traditional foreign policy strategy by making inroads into regions far beyond the post-Soviet space, including the Balkans, Middle East, and more recently Sub-Saharan Africa.

COMMENT: Five key trends in new global paradigm of narrow self-interest – Oxford Economics

A new global economic paradigm is taking shape as major economies pivot towards policies rooted in narrow national self-interest, a shift that political analysts at Oxford Economics believe will have lasting repercussions.

IMF: The global economy enters a new era

The global economic system under which most countries have operated for the last 80 years is being reset, ushering the world into a new era.

World Bank cuts Romania's growth forecast to lowest in the region for 2025 and 2026

The World Bank has sharply revised downward its economic growth projections for Romania, now expecting GDP to grow by just 1.3% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026.

Slovak unemployment drops to 3.72% in March

Slovak unemployment slightly dropped to 3.72% in March, down by 0.07 percentage point from February and by 0.16 pp from March 2024, while the number of unemployed persons was the lowest on record since 1993.

IMF: Global growth is expected to decline and downside risks to intensify as major policy shifts unfold – WEO

After enduring a prolonged and unprecedented series of shocks, the global economy appeared to have stabilized, with steady yet underwhelming growth rates, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest World Economic Outlook.

Romania's public deficit reaches new record in 2024

Romania posted the widest general government budget deficit among EU member states at 9.3% of GDP, nearly three times the EU average.

Polish industrial production disappoints with expansion of just 2.5% y/y in March

China doubles down on Cambodia ties amid global trade tensions

Amid economic uncertainty, the world is redirecting investments toward Southeast Asia as countries increasingly recognise the strength of regional cooperation.

How Europe has weaned itself off Russian gas in the last three years

In 2021, Eastern European countries imported almost half of their gas from Russia. Only two countries in the region – Albania and Kosovo – were wholly independent of Russian gas.

Is Oman the 'Switzerland of the Middle East'?

Oman stands apart in the Middle East for its consistent adherence to neutrality, a quality that has led observers to frequently describe the sultanate as the "Switzerland of the Middle East."

URUS-ClearPic: The Big Four of US, China, Russia and Europe vie for investment in Central Asia

Historically, it is the ultimate crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia – and the central component for most of the Silk Road. Now the Central Asian countries find themselves caught between the Big Four.

Azerbaijan’s president eyes China as key strategic partner

Baku is deepening ties with Beijing ahead of President Ilham Aliyev’s upcoming state visit to China as it seeks partners outside Western-dominated frameworks.

LATAM BLOG: Mexico has changed – but for whom?

Under Mexico City's gentrified surface, the wounds of Tlatelolco and Ayotzinapa remain unhealed. After 11 years, the author finds a quieter nation with booming foreign investment, yet questions if democracy has truly triumphed over cartels.

KYIV BLOG: Trump has done a deal with Putin. Now he’s trying to force Europe and Ukraine to accept the terms.

There seems to be some confusion over where the Russo-Ukraine ceasefire talks are. Bottom line: Trump has done a deal with Putin, but needs Europe to cooperate to make it work. Brussels is unwilling, so Trump is turning the screws to make it happen.

ISTANBUL BLOG: Turkey’s opposition is at it again, insulting the intelligence of voters

CHP’s performance amounts to a circus show that the Erdogan regime is only too happy to live with.

ASIA BLOG: Is China preparing to poke the paper tiger in the White House?

The US intimidates certain countries. But America is just a paper tiger. Don’t believe its bluff. One poke and it’ll burst!

BALKAN BLOG: Albania’s moment to make a push for EU accession

Albania has a realistic chance of joining the EU by the end of this decade.

Incoming German government compromises on carbon offsets to boost flagging economy

Germany’s incoming government has conditionally endorsed the European Union’s proposed 2040 climate goal and backed the EC's recommended 90% emissions reduction target but only if international carbon offsets and carbon removals are permitted.

Pakistan's headline-making 22 GW of solar panel imports

This development occurred with limited state intervention. The government, however, played a crucial role in facilitating adoption by removing import tariffs, approving net metering policies and allowing market dynamics to lead the transition.

Rising CO2 and temperatures make rice more toxic – The Lancet

Rice, the most widely consumed grain in the world, is likely to become increasingly toxic as global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels rise, according to new research published in The Lancet on April 17.

Equinor mulling appeal or legal action over Trump administration’s halting of massive wind farm off New York

Norwegian oil super major Equinor was just starting to construct an 818-MW wind farm off New York when the Trump administration unexpectedly halted the fully permitted $5bn endeavour.

Croatia to enter wildfire season without full fleet of firefighting aircraft

Croatia is bracing for another potentially intense fire season, with military support playing an important role in suppressing blazes across the Adriatic coast and inland regions.