Features
Businessmen linked to Trump explore opportunities in Western Balkans
Interest in Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia revealed ahead of autumn US presidential election.
Will Venezuela’s Maduro go out with a bang or a whimper?
Venezuela’s crucial election on July 28 pits incumbent Nicolas Maduro against opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez. With long-running economic turmoil and political repression under Chavismo, the nation faces a pivotal decision.
Neither EU nor Western Balkans ready for accession, says Erste report
Performance of CEE countries shows convergence of Western Balkans with EU will only accelerate post-accession, find Erste analysts.
_1721553763.jpg)
Egyptian workers return to Iraq
Egyptian workers in Iraq have reached approximately 40,000, the highest level since the 2003 US invasion.
India is not destined to be the next China
India maintains an edge over Latin America's emerging giant Mexico, but it still falls short of becoming the next China, according to an Oxford Economic Research Briefing.
Heatwave sparks surge in electricity use in coal-dependent Balkans
Vicious circle as increased use of electricity for air conditioners drives demand from coal-heavy power sector.
Ukraine’s government mulls raising taxes to plug a $12bn hole in the budget
Ukraine’s budget is short of UAH500bn ($12bn) this year to finance its planned expenditures and it is not clear how the shortfall will be covered, other than by raising taxes and printing money.
New Ukrainian agency seeks to tackle spiralling arms costs amidst global weapon shortages
As Ukraine strives to procure rapidly depleting stocks of weapons on the global market, its well-meaning allies are inadvertently driving up costs fivefold, while profiteers are capitalising on the situation.
Better Eurasian transport links to open new markets for Central Asia
With the development of the Eurasian Transport Network, new north-south transport corridors will give access to India and other South Asian markets, turning the region into an international transport hub, Eurasian Development Bank research shows.
Four years to turn Central Asia’s water woes around
Landlocked region set to experience constant water stress once Afghanistan's Qosh Tepa canal project is completed in 2028 if steps to improve water management are not taken, say experts at a Eurasian Development Bank forum.
International energy firms pressed to support Ukraine energy fund
Head of EU-backed agency seeks to ramp up financial and in-kind support for war-ravaged power sector.
_Cropped.jpg)
Powering change: Iran's electricity crisis and the path forward under Pezeshkian
Iran’s mismatch between energy supply and consumption has led to industrial power outages and blackouts for residential users, leading to increased poverty, economic losses and social unrest.
Immigration to slow population decline in Central Europe’s most prosperous nations
Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia are all expected to receive a few thousand new inhabitants each year for the rest of the century, according to the UN's latest population projections.
INTERVIEW: Ukraine reconstruction must include brave Roma minority
Ukraine’s Roma population are fighting side by side with ethnic Ukrainians against Russia, but their families still face discrimination, says the head of Roma Foundation for Europe.
Will Ukraine default on its debt in August?
On August 1 a debt restructuring deal expires and the government will have to pay back all the suspended interest payments for the last three years in one go. A default is possible but not a given.
Increasingly isolated by sanctions, Russia’s metal producers are being pushed into China’s arms
Isolated by Western sanctions, Russian metals producers are increasingly turning to China, which has gone from a primary competitor to a principal client.
Eight Emerging Europe countries to lose more than half their populations by 2100
Steep population decline projected by the UN in the coming decades, with Ukraine’s population set to contract the most.
World population set to peak decades sooner than previously projected
Latest UN projections indicate global population will peak at 10.3bn by the 2080s then start gradual decline.
Clinton promised Yeltsin Nato expansion "no threat", newly declassified documents show
Russian President Boris Yeltsin warned US President Bill Clinton in 1997 that Nato's eastward expansion was a “mistake,” but was reassured by Clinton that Nato would “not be a threat to Russia” according to newly declassified documents.
INTERVIEW: Ukraine’s biggest private power producer races to recover as winter looms
A top DTEK Group executive says companies desperately need access to finance and capital to cope with widespread infrastructure damage from Russian strikes.