All Nato members reach 2% GDP defence spending for the first time

All of Nato’s members have met the alliance’s 2% of GDP defence spending target for the first time, pushing total military expenditure to a record $1.4 trillion, according to data reported by Euractiv on March 20.

India adopts multi front fertiliser strategy as West Asia crisis unfolds

The biggest short term vulnerability for Indian energy security is liquified petroleum gas using in cooking - of which India imports over half of its consumption demand via the Strait of Hormuz.

Alarm for Russian banking sector as cash withdrawals spike

Russia’s share of cashless payments in retail turnover fell by 3 percentage points to 71.1% in January 2026, while cash withdrawals reached RUB1.6 trillion ($17.4bn), the highest since the 2022 full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.

Mexico risks Beijing trade retaliation in bid to curry favour in Washington

Mexico is caught between two giants: courting the US with tariffs on Chinese goods while risking a trade backlash from Beijing that could undermine its own industrial base.

Extreme heat will kill more people in poor countries than the rich

Poorer countries are projected to suffer sharply higher mortality from the increasing frequency of extreme heatwaves than wealthier nations, with death rates potentially rising by as much as tenfold.

China becoming the first Electrostate

China is well on the way to becoming the world's first “Electrostate”. The nature of the global economy is changing. The carbon-based economy that has dominated since the industrial revolution giving away to a silicon-based economy.

Tajikistan adapting its approach on Afghanistan

Bolstering border defences while stepping up diplomatic engagement.

INTERVIEW: Corazon Avecilla-Padiernos, the Philippines' representative to Taiwan

Manila’s position is that “peace, stability, and adherence to international law are essential to safeguarding maritime routes that are vital to regional trade, including for the Philippines and Taiwan.”

Clean energy stocks outperform oil majors as investors anticipate long-term switch to renewables due to Iran war

Shares in clean energy companies have outpaced oil majors since the outbreak of conflict involving Iran, as investors bet that higher fossil fuel prices will accelerate the shift towards renewables, the Financial Times reports.

Chinese refiners eye Iran oil under temporary US waiver

China’s state-owned refiners are reviewing potential purchases of Iranian crude after Washington allowed limited sales of cargoes already loaded on tankers to ease supply pressures from the Middle East conflict.

Asia falls back on coal as LNG shortages drag on

From South Korea to Indonesia to Bangladesh, governments are increasingly turning back to coal-fired power generation to help offset a widening shortfall in LNG imports.

Appetite for Turkmen gas could rise in China, Turkey and Europe amid Hormuz crisis

Disruption to Middle East supplies may have concentrated minds. Is Central Asia gas a better bet?

Is the CRINK alliance helping to arm Iran?

Are the members of the CRINK alliance (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) arming and abetting Iran? The informal cooperation between America's main geopolitical adversaries were already cooperating militarily before the start of the Iran war.

Fuel shock in the fast lane: how Asia’s drivers are paying the price of war

The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has sent a delayed shockwave through global energy markets and nowhere is the impact more acute than at petrol pumps across Asia.

LONG READ: Coal is back.

Coal is back. Having become a fuel for most of the last two decades, countries are scrambling to secure supplies of coal in the face of “ The largest supply disruption in the history,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Gulf war drives up demand for Asian EV

Democracy fading as autocractic rulers gain ground – Statista

Released on March 19, the latest Freedom in the World 2026 report finds that global freedom declined for the 20th consecutive year in 2025, with more countries experiencing deterioration in political rights and civil liberties than improvements

Asia turns to Russian fuel in record volumes

China is also increasing its purchases from Russia, with imports estimated at 1.2mn to 1.5mn tonnes – primarily for use as a substitute feedstock in refineries.

US intel report sees direct homeland threat from Pakistani missiles

In its March 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of The US Intelligence Community report, the US Office of Director of National Intelligence has highlighted Pakistan as on the path to developing missile technology that can threaten the US itself.

Philippines down to its last three weeks of fuel reserves, turns to Russia for help

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon.