Iraq’s Al-Zaidi government gains parliamentary approval

The Iraqi parliament voted to grant confidence to the government of Ali Falih Al-Zaidi, approving both its ministerial programme and 14 cabinet ministers during a parliamentary session attended by 270 lawmakers,

IMF ready to assess Bolivia financing request as $3.3bn package talks confirmed

IMF says it stands ready to assess Bolivia's financing request as La Paz confirms talks on a $3.3bn package to address a dollar liquidity crunch and mounting debt obligations amid declining natural gas revenues.

Cuba runs out of fuel as protests push US aid offer back to the fore

Cuba declared it had exhausted every last drop of fuel on May 14 — no diesel, no fuel oil, no reserves — as blackouts of 22 hours plunged Havana into darkness and street protests thrust a pre-existing $100mn US aid offer back into the spotlight.

Brazil's Bolsonaro dynasty faces fresh scandal over film deal with disgraced banker

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro solicited financial backing from a scandal-plagued banker for a film about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, according to messages published by Intercept Brasil.

Iran defends seizure of US tankers as legal under international law

Iran's judiciary has defended the seizure of American oil tankers in Iranian waters as legitimate under domestic law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said on May 14.

Việt Nam Sets $300bn digital tech revenue goal

Poland to advance 3% digital tax despite US criticism

Finance Minister Andrzej Domański says tech companies must pay taxes in Poland, "just like everyone else".

Central Asia lagging in AI diffusion – report

Adoption rates, however, are among highest in Asia.

Iraqi hackers claim cyber attacks on US tech giants eBay and Spotify

A pro-Iran hacking group calling itself Team 313 has claimed responsibility for cyber attacks on eBay and Spotify, causing millions in losses.

Telekom Srbija raises €1.95bn in record CEE corporate bond sale

Offering drew strong demand of $13.87bn from around 300 international institutional investors.

IMF: Extreme inequality is fuelling a global debt crisis

During the Great Depression, as he saw ordinary people’s purchasing power collapse, Federal Reserve Chairman Marriner Eccles warned that excessive saving by the rich was draining demand and deepening the downturn.

Georgia’s drift from the West opens a strategic window for Armenia on Europe-Asia trade routes

South Caucasus' strategic value has risen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Georgia's importance is in question as relations with the West deteriorate, says OSW report.

SHEVCHENKO: Donornomics - €90bn for the war, but how much will be needed for peace?

The European Union has finalized a €90bn loan for Ukraine for 2026–2027. This is an important decision. But it should be read correctly. This is not money for Ukraine’s reconstruction. This is money for the war.

RAGOZIN: The Russia doomsday campaign

Stories predicting an imminent crisis in Russia do not reflect political, economic or battlefield reality.

COMMENT: Iran war’s geopolitical risks alone is not enough to cause a global recession

The geopolitical shocks of the Gulf war are dominating headlines and investor sentiment, but these shocks rarely act as the primary engine of global economic downturns, according to a note by Ben May of Oxford Economics.

Turkey hikes end-2026 official inflation forecast to 26% in war “shock environment”

Central bank also raises its average Brent oil expectation for 2026 to $89/barrel.

Hungary FX swap move sends forint lower as exporters warn of competitiveness squeeze

Decision to reduce maximum allowable swappoints increases the likelihood of earlier-than-expected interest rate cuts, potentially within months.

Romania’s industrial output shrinks by 2.8% q/q in Q1

Latest figures indicate a return to the longer-term downward trend in Romanian industry after a temporary rebound in 2025.

Czech inflation confirmed at 2.5% in April

Inflation could accelerate further in the coming months as the impact from the conflict in the Middle East still has to fully hit consumer prices.

Romania’s economy contracts by 1.7% y/y in first quarter

Fiscal consolidation measures and weaker domestic demand weighed on activity.

Crisis - and opportunity - in the Bangladeshi RMG sector

Bangladesh's textile sector stands at a cyclical low but structural opportunity peak. The current crisis, while severe, has created exceptional entry valuations for investors with the expertise and capital to execute complex turnarounds.

Russia's September election: United Russia will win but the sands are shifting under its feet

Russia goes to the polls on September 18-20 for its first State Duma elections since the invasion of Ukraine. The lowed house of the Duma is up for grabs and the outcome is not in doubt: United Russia. But who comes second is a lot more unclear.

Russia deploys Poseidon nuclear torpedoes and Satan II ICBMs

Russia has launched a Khabarovsk special-purpose submarine to carry the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo system and debuted the super heavy Sarmat ICBM that can hit any target on the planet.

Panama Canal cashes in on Hormuz crisis it cannot control

With Hormuz largely shut and the Cape of Good Hope adding 14 days to voyages, the waterway has become the primary functioning maritime artery of the Western hemisphere — but its own management is not yet counting the money.

Post-Orban Hungary turns inward: warmer on the EU, cooler on Ukraine, no break with Russia

Hungary’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar has inherited a country that remains broadly supportive of closer ties with the European Union but is increasingly cautious about breaking with Russia or deepening support for Ukraine.

VISEGRAD BLOG: Hungary’s post-Orban reckoning

PM Peter Magyar pledged to dismantle the institutional and financial legacy of Viktor Orban’s 16-year rule, with implications beyond Hungary’s borders.

MOSCOW BLOG: Russia's social contract has broken down

Something has quietly shifted in Russia. Not the social and economic meltdown Western pundits have been confidently predicting almost continuously for the last two decades. But something has changed and the people are not happy.

BALKAN BLOG: Wave of Trump-linked Balkan investments sparks transparency concerns

Mega deals announced by Trump-linked companies brings up concerns over corruption and environmental impact similar to those raised over Chinese and Middle Eastern investments in the past.

MOSCOW BLOG: EU unblocks Ukrainian loan, twentieth sanctions package, as Kyiv builds a robot army

Phew. That was an effort. EU leaders met in Brussels yesterday and signed off on releasing the €90bn loan for Ukraine that will keep it in the fight with Russia for another two years. They also passed the twentieth sanctions package on Russia,

CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: There are those who swear Tokayev just auditioned for the UN top job

Rumours have swirled for months that Kazakhstan’s president wants to succeed Antonio Guterres. An appearance at an event in Turkey did his chances no harm at all.

Germany revamps its energy laws, but risks locking itself into decades of costly gas import dependence

Germany risks locking itself into decades of costly gas import dependence unless policymakers give battery storage equal treatment in upcoming power market reforms, energy think-tank Ember has warned.

Tehran water consumption hits 3bn litres a day as Iran braces for crisis summer

Daily water consumption in Tehran has reached nearly three billion litres before the start of summer, with reservoirs at just 22% of capacity, as Iran braces for an early heatwave amid post-conflict strain on infrastructure.

Russia offers Indonesia full-spectrum nuclear cooperation package

Rosatom has said it is ready to offer Indonesia a comprehensive framework for developing its nuclear energy programme, spanning gigawatt-scale reactors, small modular units and floating nuclear power plants.

Norwegian companies mull €1bn hydrogen plant in Estonia

Hydrogen development across the Baltic states is accelerating as governments seek to reduce emissions, expand offshore wind capacity and cut dependence on Russian energy.

Central Asian states adapt to irreversible Aral Sea disaster, official says

IFAS chairman says efforts to restore the sea must move on to tackling environmental, agriculture and health care fallout.